A  STRANGE 

Manuscript 


FOUND  IN  A 


Copper  Cylinder 


6^;'^^ 


DUKE  UNIVERSITY 


LIBRARY 


The  Glenn  Negley  Collection 
of  Utopian  Literature 


A  STRANGE  MANUSCRIPT 

FOUND  IN 


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A  STRANGE  MANUSCRirT 
FOUND  IN  A  COPPER  CYLIN- 
DER 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY 

GILBERT   GAUL 


NEW   YORK 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  FRANKLIN  SQUARE 

1  888 


Copyright,  1888,  by  Harper  &  Brothers. 


All  rights  reserved. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGB 

I._TiiE  Finding  of  the  Copper  Cylinder  .    ...  1 

II.  A  Drift  in  the  Antarctic  Ocean 11 

III.  A  World  of  Fire  and  Desolation 21 

IV.  The  Sight  of  Human  Beings 31 

V.  The  Torrent  Sweeping  under  the  Mountains  .  44 

VI.  The  New  World 53 

VII.  Scientific  Theories  and  Scepticism 65 

VIII.  The  Cave-Dwellers 78 

IX.  The  Cavern  of  the  Dead 86 

X.  The  Sacred  Hunt 95 

XI.  The  SwAiip  Monster 103 

XII.  The  Baleful  Sacrifice Ill 

XIII.  The  Awful  "  Mista  Kosek" 118 

XIV.  I  Learn  my  Doom 128 

XV.  The  Kohen  is  Inexorable 137 

XVI.  The  Kosekin 147 

XVII.  Belief  and  Unbelief 156 

XVIII.  A  Voyage  o\t:r  the  Pole 170 

XIX.  The  Wonders  of  the  "Amir" 179 

XX.  The  Dark  Maiden,  Layelah 188 

XXI.  The  Flying  Monster 198 

XXII.  Esc.'O'e 208 

XXIII.  The  Island  op  Fire 217 

XXIV.  Recapture 226 

XXV.  Falling,  like  Icarus,  into  the  Sea 238 


vi  Contents. 

CUAPTElt  ^                                                                                                                                     PACE 

XXVI.  Grimm's  Law  Again 245 

XXVII.  OxENDEN  Preaches  a  Seemon 253 

XXVIII.  In  Prisox 259 

XXIX.  The  Ceremony  op  Separation 268 

XXX.  The  Day  of  Sacrifice 277 

XXXI.  Conclusion 286 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


"THE    DOCTOR    WAS     EVIDENTLY   DISCOURSING   UPON   A 

FAVORITE  topic" FiOHtispiece. 

"  WITH  THIS  HE  ATTACKED  THE  COPPER  CYLINDER,  AND 
BY  MEANS  OF  A  FEW  DEXTEROUS  BLOWS  SUCCEEDED 

IN  CUTTING  IT  OPEN  " To  face  p.  8 

"I    BEGAN    TO    RE.U)    THIS,  BUT    THERE    CAME    A    LUMP 

IN   MY   THROAT,  AND   I   HAD    TO   STOP  " "  24 

"THE  NATIVES  NOW  ALL  CROWDED  AROUND  US,  MAK- 
ING MANY  STRANGE  GESTURES  " "  34 

"  I  RAISED  MY  RIFLE  AND  TOOK  AIM.  THEN  IN  QUICK 
SUCCESSION  TWO  REPORTS  THUNDERED  OUT  WITH 
TREMENDOUS   UPROAR " "  50 

"ANOTHER    TOOK   A  SPONGE    AND   PROCEEDED   TO   WASH 

MY    FACE    AND    HANDS " "  62 

"HER  FACE  AND  FORM,  BUT  ESPECIALLY  HER  EYES, 
SHOWED  HER  TO  BE  OP  QUITE  A  DIFFERENT  RACE 
FROM  THESE   OTHERS " "  "0 

"SHE    TOOK    OFF    THE    OLD    WREATH    AND    PUT    ON    A 

FRESH   one" "  94 

"THEN    THE    KOHEN    RAISED    HIS   KNIFE   AND    PLUNGED 

IT   INTO   THE   HEART   OF    THE  YOUTH  " "  114 

"  FOR   A   MOMENT  I  STOOD   MOTIONLESS,  STARING  ;    THEN 

ALL  THE  CAVERN  SEEMED  TO  SWIM  AROUND  ME  "    .  "  124 

"WE   HAD   MANY   THINGS   TO   SAY   TO   ONE   ANOTHER"    .  "  132 

"  THERE  WERE  ALL  THE  ROWERS,  EACH  ONE  UPON  HIS 
SEAT,  AND  FROM  THEM  ALL  THERE  CAME  FORTH  A 
CHANT   WHICH    WAS   FULL   OF    TRIUMPH"    ....  "  176 


viii  Illustrations. 

"  '  THIS,'    SAID     LAVELAII,    '  IS     TUE     WAY     WE     HAVE     OF 

ESCAPING.'  " To  face  p.  202 

"  WITH    ONE    HAND    I     CLUNG    TO    THE    STIFF    MANE     OF 

THE  MONSTER;    WITH    THE  OTHER  I  HELD  ALMAU  "  "  214 

"ALMAH  LAY  DOWN  UPON  THE  SAND,  AND  I  SEATED 
MYSELF,  LEANING  AGAINST  A  ROCK,  A  LITTLE  DIS- 
TANCE  off" "  218 

"  the  next  instant  we   were  all  in  the   water 

together" "         236 

"  tue  atolls,"  or  coral  islands "        254 

"  the  avomen the  hags  of  horror — the  shriek- 
like    ones,  as    i    may    call    them,  were    all 

AROUND     us" "  272 

"  I    AM    ATAM-OR,  THE    MAN    OF    LIGHT  " *'  284 


A  STRANGE  MANUSCRIPT 
FOUND  IN  A  COPPER  CYLINDER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE   FINDING    OF   THE    COPPEK    CYLINDER. 

It  occurred  as  far  back  as  February  15, 1850.  It  hap- 
pened on  that  day  that  the  yacht  Falcon  lay  becalmed 
upon  the  ocean  between  the  Canaries  and  the  Madeira 
Islands.  This  yacht  Falcon  was  the  property  of  Lord 
Featherstone,  who,  being  weary  of  life  in  England,  had 
taken  a  few  congenial  friends  for  a  winter's  cruise  in 
these  southern  latitudes.  They  had  visited  the  Azores, 
the  Canaries,  and  the  Madeira  Islands,  and  were  now 
on  their  way  to  the  Mediterranean. 

The  wind  had  failed,  a  deep  calm  had  succeeded,  and 
everywhere,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  water 
was  smooth  and  glassy.  The  yacht  rose  and  fell  at  the 
impulse  of  the  long  ocean  undulations,  and  the  creaking 
of  the  spars  sounded  out  a  lazy  accompaniment  to  the 
motion  of  the  vessel.  All  around  was  a  watery  horizon, 
except  in  one  place  only,  towards  the  south,  where  far  in 
the  distance  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe  rose  into  the  air. 

The  profound  calm,  the  warm  atmosphere,  the  slow 
pitching  of  the  yacht,  and  the  dull  creaking  of  the  spars 
all  combined  to  lull  into  a  state  of  indolent  repose 
the  people  on  board.     Forward  were  the  crew  ;  some 


2  A  Strange  Manuscript 

asleep,  others  smoking,  others  playing  cards.  At  the 
stern  were  Oxenden,  the  intimate  friend  of  Feather- 
stone,  and  Dr.  Congrevc,  who  had  come  in  the  double 
capacity  of  friend  and  medical  attendant.  These  two, 
like  the  crew,  were  in  a  state  of  dull  and  languid  repose. 
Suspended  between  the  two  masts,  in  an  Indian  ham- 
mock, lay  Featherstone,  Avith  a  cigar  in  his  mouth  and 
a  novel  in  his  hand,  which  he  was  pretending  to  read. 
The  fourth  member  of  the  party,  Melick,  was  seated 
near  the  mainmast,  folding  some  papers  in  a  peculiar 
way.  His  occupation  at  length  attracted  the  roving 
eyes  of  Featherstone,  who  poked  forth  his  head  from 
bis  hammock,  and  said,  in  a  sleepy  voice  : 

"I  say,  Melick,  you're  the  most  energetic  fellah  I 
ever  saw.  By  Jove  !  you're  the  only  one  aboard  that's 
busy.     What  are  you  doing  ?" 

"  Paper  boats,"  said  Melick,  in  a  business-like  tone. 

*'  Paper  boats !  By  Jove !"  said  Featherstone.  "  "What 
for?'* 

"Pm  going  to  have  a  regatta,"  said  Melick.  "  Anj-- 
thing  to  kill  time,  you  know." 

"  By  Jove  !"  exclaimed  Featherstone  again,  raising 
himself  higher  in  his  hammock,  *'  that's  not  a  bad  idea. 
A  wegatta  !  By  Jove  !  glowious  !  glowious  !  I  say, 
Oxenden,  did  you  hear  that?" 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  a  regatta  V"  asked  Oxenden, 
lazily. 

"  Oh,  I  mean  a  race  with  these  paper  boats.  We  can 
bet  on  them,  you  know." 

At  this  Featherstone  sat  upright,  with  his  legs  dang- 
ling out  of  the  hammock. 

"  By  Jove  !"  he  exclaimed  again.  "Betting  !  So  Ave 
can.  Do  you  know,  Melick,  old  chap,  I  think  that's  a 
wegular  piece  of  inspiration.  A  wegatta  !  and  we  can 
bet  on  the  best  boat." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  3 

"But  there  isn't  any  Avind,"  said  Oxenden. 

"  Well,  you  know,  that's  the  fun  of  it,"  said  Meliclc, 
who  went  solemnly  on  as  he  spoke,  folding  his  paper 
boats  ;  "  that's  the  fun  of  it.  For  you  see  if  there  was 
a  wind  we  should  be  going  on  ourselves,  and  the  regatta 
couldn't  come  off  ;  but,  as  it  is,  the  water  is  just  right. 
You  pick  out  your  boat,  and  lay  your  bet  on  her  to  race 
to  some  given  point." 

"  A  given  point  ?     But  how  can  we  find  any  ?" 

"  Oh,  easily  enough  ;  something  or  anything — a  bub- 
ble '11  do,  or  we  can  pitch  out  a  bit  of  wood." 

Upon  this  Featherstone  descended  from  his  perch, 
and  came  near  to  examine  the  proceedings,  Avhile  the 
other  two,  eager  to  take  advantage  of  the  new  excite- 
ment, soon  joined  him.  By  this  time  Melick  had  fin- 
ished his  paper  boats.  There  were  four  of  them,  and 
they  were  made  of  different  colors,  namely,  rod,  green, 
yellow,  and  white. 

"  I'll  put  these  in  the  water,"  said  Melick,  "  and  then 
we  can  lay  our  bets  on  them  as  we  choose.  But  first  let 
us  see  if  there  is  anything  that  can  be  taken  as  a  point 
of  arrival.  If  there  isn't  anj'thing,  I  can  pitch  out  a 
bit  of  wood  in  any  direction  which  may  seem  best." 

Saying  this,  he  Avent  to  the  side,  followed  by  the  oth- 
ers, and  all  looked  out  carefully  over  the  water. 

"There's  a  black  speck  out  there,"  said  Oxenden, 

"  So  there  is,"  said  Featherstone.  "  That'll  do.  I 
wonder  what  it  is  ?" 

"  Oh,  a  bit  of  timber,"  said  Melick.  "  Probably  the 
spar  of  some  ship." 

"  It  don't  look  like  a  spar,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  it's  only 
a  round  spot,  like  the  float  of  some  net." 

"Oh,  it's  a  spar,"  said  Melick.  "It's  one  end  of  it, 
the  rest  is  under  Avater." 

The  spot  thus  chosen  Avas   a  dark,  circular  object, 


4  ^1  Stranye  Manuscript 

about  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  certainly  did  look 
very  much  like  the  extremity  of  some  spar,  the  rest  of 
which  was  under  water.  Whatever  it  was,  however,  it 
served  well  enough  for  their  present  purpose,  and  no 
one  took  any  further  interest  in  it,  except  as  the  point 
towards  which  the  paper  boats  should  run  in  their  event- 
ful race. 

Melick  now  let  himself  down  over  the  side,  and  placed 
the  paper  boats  on  the  water  as  carefully  as  possible. 
After  this  the  four  stood  watching  the  little  fleet  in 
silence.  The  water  was  perfectly  still,  and  there  was  no 
perceptible  Avind,  but  there  were  draughts  of  air  caused 
by  the  rise  and  fall  of  the  yacht,  and  these  affected  the 
tiny  boats.  Gradually  they  drew  apart,  the  green  one 
drifting  astern,  the  yellow  one  remaining  under  the  ves- 
sel, while  the  red  and  the  white  were  carried  out  in  the 
direction  where  they  were  expected  to  go,  with  about  a 
foot  of  space  between  them. 

"Two  to  one  on  the  red  !"  cried  Fcatherstone,  betting 
on  the  one  which  had  gained  the  lead. 

"  Done,"  said  Melick,  promptly  taking  his  offer. 

Oxendcn  made  the  same  bet,  which  was  taken  by  Me- 
lick and  the  doctor. 

Other  bets  were  now  made  as  to  the  direction  which 
they  would  take,  as  to  the  distance  by  which  the  red 
would  beat  the  white,  as  to  the  time  which  would  be 
occupied  by  the  race,  and  as  to  fifty  other  things  which 
need  not  be  mentioned.  All  took  part  in  this  ;  the  ex- 
citement rose  high  and  the  betting  went  on  merrily.  At 
length  it  was  noticed  that  the  white  was  overhauling  the 
red.  The  excitement  grew  intense  ;  the  betting  changed 
its  form,  but  was  still  kept  up,  until  at  last  the  two  paper 
boats  seemed  blended  together  in  one  dim  sj^ot  which 
gradually  faded  out  of  sight. 

It  was  now  necessary  to  determine  the  state  of  the  race, 


Found  in  a  Co-pper  Cylinder.  5 

so  Featherstone  ordered  out  the  boat.  The  four  were 
soon  embarked,  and  the  men  rowed  out  towards  the  point 
which  had  been  chosen  as  the  end  of  the  race.  On  com- 
ing near  they  found  the  paper  boats  stuck  together,  satu- 
rated with  water,  and  floating  limp  on  the  surface.  An 
animated  discussion  arose  about  this.  Some  of  the  bets 
were  off,  but  others  remained  an  open  question,  and  each 
side  insisted  upon  a  different  view  of  the  case.  In  the 
midst  of  this  Featherstone's  attention  was  drawn  to  the 
dark  spot  already  mentioned  as  the  goal  of  the  race. 

"That's  a  queer-looking  thing,"  said  he,  suddenl3^ 
"  Pull  up,  lads,  a  little  ;  let's  see  what  it  is.  It  doesn't 
look  to  me  like  a  spar." 

The  others,  always  on  the  lookout  for  some  new 
object  of  interest,  were  attracted  by  these  words,  and 
looked  closely  at  the  thing  in  question.  The  men  pulled. 
The  boat  drew  nearer. 

"  It's  some  sort  of  floating  vessel,"  said  Oxenden. 

"It's  not  a  spar,"  said  Melick,  who  was  at  the  bow. 

And  as  he  said  this  he  reached  out  and  grasped  at  it. 
He  failed  to  get  it,  and  did  no  more  than  touch  it.  It 
moved  easily  and  sank,  but  soon  came  up  again.  A 
second  time  he  grasped  at  it,  and  with  both  hands.  This 
time  he  caught  it,  and  then  lifted  it  out  of  the  water  into 
the  boat.  These  proceedings  had  been  watched  with 
the  deepest  interest ;  and  now,  as  this  curious  floating 
thing  made  its  appearance  among  them,  they  all  crowd- 
ed around  it  in  eager  excitement. 

"  It  looks  like  a  can  of  preserved  meat,"  said  the  doc- 
tor. 

"It  certainly  is  a  can,"  said  Melick,  "for  it's  made  of 
metal ;  but  as  to  preserved  meat,  I  have  my  doubts." 

The  article  in  question  was  made  of  metal,  and  was 
cylindrical  in  shape.  It  was  soldered  tight,  and  evi- 
dently contained  something.      It  was  about  eighteen 


6  A  Strange  Manuscript 

inches  lonor  and  eisrht  wide.  The  nature  of  the  metal 
was  not  easily  perceptible,  for  it  was  coated  with  slime, 
and  covered  over  about  half  its  surface  with  barnacles 
and  sea- weed.  It  was  not  heavy,  and  would  have  floated 
higher  out  of  the  Avater  had  it  not  been  for  these  encum- 
brances. 

"It's  some  kind  of  preserved  meat,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  Perhaps  something  good  —  game,  I  dare  say  —  yes, 
Yorkshire  game-pie.    They  pot  all  sorts  of  things  now." 

"If  it's  game,"  said  Oxenden,  "it'll  be  rather  high 
by  this  time.  Man  alive  !  look  at  those  weeds  and 
shells.     It  must  have  been  floating  for  ages." 

"It's  my  belief,"  said  Featherstone,  "that  it's  part 
of  the  provisions  laid  in  by  Noah  for  his  long  voyage 
in,  the  ark.  So  come,  let's  open  it,  and  see  what  sort 
of  diet  the  antediluvians  had." 

"  It  may  be  liquor,"  said  Oxenden. 

Melick  shook  his  head. 

"  No,"  said  he  ;  "  there's  something  inside,  but  what- 
ever it  is,  it  isn't  liquor.  It's  odd,  too.  The  thing  is 
of  foreign  make,  evidently.  I  never  saw  anything  like 
it  before.     It  may  be  Chinese." 

"  By  Jove  !"  cried  Featherstone,  "  this  is  getting  ex- 
citing.    Let's  go  back  to  the  yacht  and  open  it." 

The  men  rowed  back  to  the  yacht. 

"  It's  meat  of  some  sort,"  continued  the  doctor.  "  I'm 
certain  of  that.  It  has  come  in  good  time.  We  can 
have  it  for  dinner." 

"  You  may  have  my  share,  then,"  said  Oxenden.  "  I 
hereby  give  and  bequeath  to  you  all  my  right,  title, 
and  interest  in  and  to  anytliing  in  the  shape  of  meat 
that  may  be  inside." 

"  Meat  cans,"  said  INIelick,  "  are  never  so  large  as 
that." 

"  Oh,  I   don't  know  about  that,"  said  the  doctor. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  *j 

"  They  make  up  pretty  large  packages  of  pemmicau  for 
the  arctic  expeditions." 

"  But  they  never  pack  up  pemmican  in  copper  cylin- 
ders," said  Melick,  who  had  been  using  his  knife  to 
scrape  off  the  crust  from  the  vessel. 

"  Copper  !"  exclaimed  Oxenden.     "  Is  it  copper  ?" 

"  Look  for  yourselves,"  said  Melick,  quietly. 

They  all  looked,  and  could  see,  where  the  knife  had 
cut  into  the  vessel,  that  it  was  as  he  said.  It  was  cop- 
per. 

"It's  foreign  work,"  said  Melick.  "In  England  we 
make  tin  cans  for  everything.  It  may  be  something 
that's  drifted  out  from  Mogadore  or  some  port  in  Mo- 
rocco." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Oxenden,  "  it  may  contain  the 
mangled  remains  of  one  of  the  wives  of  some  Moorish 
pasha." 

By  this  time  they  had  reached  the  yacht  and  hur- 
ried aboard.  All  were  eager  to  satisfy  their  curios- 
ity. Search  was  made  for  a  cold-chisel,  but  to  no  pur- 
pose. Then  Featherstone  produced  a  knife  which  was 
used  to  ojien  sardine  boxes;  but  after  a  faithful  trial 
this  proved  useless.  At  length  Melick,  who  had  gone 
off  in  search  of  something  more  effective,  made  his 
appearance,  armed  with  an  axe.  With  this  he  attacked 
the  copper  cylinder,  and  by  means  of  a  few  dexterous 
blows  succeeded  in  cutting  it  open.     Then  he  looked  in. 

"  What  do  you  see  ?"  asked  Featherstone. 

"Something,"  said  Melick,  "but  I  can't  quite  make  it 
out." 

"  If  you  can't  make  it  out,  then  shake  it  out,"  said 
Oxenden. 

Upon  this  Melick  took  the  cylinder,  turned  it  up- 
side down,  shook  it  smartly,  and  then  lifted  it  and 
pounded  it  against  the  deck.      This  served  to  loosen 


8  A  Strange  Manuscript 

the  contents,  which  seemed  tightly  packed,  but  came 
gradually  down  until  at  length  they  could  be  seen 
and  drawn  forth.  Melick  drew  them  forth,  and  the 
contents  of  the  mysterious  copper  cylinder  resolved 
themselves  into  two  packages. 

The  sight  of  these  packages  only  served  to  inten- 
sify their  curiosity.  If  it  had  been  some  species  of 
food  it  would  at  once  have  revealed  itself,  but  these 
packages  suggested  something  more  important.  What 
could  they  be?  "Were  there  treasures  inside — jewels, 
or  golden  ornaments  from  some  Moorish  seraglio,  or 
strange  coin  f i-om  far  Cathay  ? 

One  of  the  packages  was  very  much  larger  than  the 
other.  It  was  enclosed  in  wrappers  made  of  some  coarse 
kind  of  felt,  bound  tight  with  strong  cords.  The  other 
w^as  ranch  smaller,  and  was  folded  in  the  same  material 
without  being  bound.  This  Melick  seized  and  began  to 
open, 

"Wait  a  minute,"  said  Featherstone.  "Let's  make 
a  bet  on  it.  Five  guineas  that  it's  some  sort  of  jew- 
els !" 

"  Done,"  said  Oxenden. 

Melick  opened  the  package,  and  it  was  seen  that 
Featherstone  had  lost.  There  were  no  jewels,  but 
one  or  two  sheets  of  something  that  looked  like  pa- 
per. It  was  not  paper,  however,  but  some  vegetable 
product  which  was  used  for  the  same  purpose.  The 
surface  was  smooth,  but  the  color  was  dingy,  and  the 
lines  of  the  vegetable  fibres  were  plainly  discernible. 
These  sheets  were  covered  with  writing. 

"  Halloa!"  cried  Melick.     "  Why,  this  is  English  !" 

At  this  the  others  crowded  around  to  look  on,  and 
Featherstone  in  his  excitement  forgot  that  he  had  lost 
his  bet.  There  were  three  sheets,  all  covered  with 
writing  —  one   in   English,  another  in  French,    and   a 


"with  this  he  attacked  the  copper  CYLrSDER,  AND  BY 
MEANS  OF  A  FEW  DEXTEROUS  BLOWS  SUCCEEDED  IN  CUT- 
TING IT  OPEN." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  9 

third  in  German.     It  was  the  same  message,  written 
in  these  three  different  languages.     But  at  that  mo- 
ment they  scarcely  noticed  this.     All  that  they  saw 
was  the  message  itself,  with  its  mysterious  meaning. 
It  was  as  follows: 

"To  the  finder  of  this: 

"  Sir, — I  am  an  Englishman,  and  have  been  carried  by  a  series 
of  incredible  events  to  a  land  from  which  escape  is  as  impossible 
as  from  the  grave.  I  have  written  this  and  committed  it  to  the 
sea,  in  the  hope  that  the  ocean  currents  may  bear  it  within  the 
reach  of  civilized  man.  Oh,  unknown  friend !  whoever  you  are, 
I  entreat  you  to  let  this  message  be  made  known  in  some  way  to 
my  father,  Henry  IMore,  Keswick,  Cumberland,  England,  so  that 
he  may  learn  the  fate  of  his  son.  The  MS.  accompanying  this 
contains  an  account  of  my  adventures,  which  I  should  like  to 
have  forwarded  to  him.  Do  this  for  the  sake  of  that  mercy  which 
you  may  one  day  wish  to  have  shown  to  yourself. 

"Adam  More." 

"  By  Jove  !"  cried  Featherstone,  as  he  read  the  above, 
"  this  is  really  getting  to  be  something  tremendous." 

"This  other  package  must  be  the  manuscript,"  said 
Oxenden,  "  and  it'll  tell  all  about  it." 

"  Such  a  manuscript  '11  be  better  than  meat,"  said  the 
doctor,  sententiously. 

Melick  said  nothing,  but,  opening  his  knife,  he  cut 
the  cords  and  unfolded  the  wrapper.  He  saw  a  great 
collection  of  leaves,  just  like  those  of  the  letter,  of 
some  vegetable  substance,  smooth  as  paper,  and  cov- 
ered with  writing. 

"It  looks  like  Egyptian  papyrus,"  said  the  doctor. 
'  That  was  the  common  paper  of  antiquity." 

"Never  mind  the  Egyptian  papyrus,"  said  Feath- 
erstone, in  feverish  curiosity.  "Let's  have  the  con- 
tents of  the  manuscript.  You,  Melick,  read  ;  you're 
the  most  energetic  of  the  lot,  and  when  you're  tired 
the  rest  of  us  will  take  turns." 
2-:f 


10  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Read  ?  Why,  it'll  take  a  month  to  read  all  this," 
said  Melick. 

"All  the  better,"  said  Featherstone;  "this  calm  will 
probably  last  a  month,  and  we  shall  have  nothing  to  in- 
terest us." 

Melick  made  no  farther  objection,  lie  was  as  ex- 
cited as  the  rest,  and  so  he  began  the  reading  of  the 
manuscript. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  11 


CHAPTER  II. 

ADRIFT  IX  THE  ANTARCTIC  OCEAN. 

My  name  is  Adam  More.  I  am  the  son  of  Henry 
More,  apothecary,  Keswick,  Cumberland.  I  was  mate 
of  the  ship  Trevelyan  (Bennet,  master),  which  was 
chartered  by  the  British  Government  to  convey  con- 
victs to  Van  Dieman's  Land.  This  w^as  in  1843.  We 
made  our  voyage  without  any  casualty,  landed  our 
convicts  in  Hobart  Town,  and  then  set  forth  on  our 
return  home.  It  was  the  l7th  of  December  when 
we  left.  From  the  first  adverse  winds  prevailed,  and 
in  order  to  make  any  progress  wc  were  obliged  to 
keep  well  to  the  south.  At  length,  on  the  6tli  of 
January,  we  sighted  Desolation  Island.  We  found  it, 
indeed,  a  desolate  spot.  In  its  vicinity  we  saw  a  mul- 
titude of  smaller  islands,  perhaps  a  thousand  in  num- 
ber, which  made  navigation  difficult,  and  forced  us  to 
hurry  away  as  fast  as  possible.  But  the  aspect  of  this 
dreary  spot  was  of  itself  enough  to  rej^el  us.  There 
were  no  trees,  and  the  multitude  of  islands  seemed  like 
moss-covered  rocks;  while  the  temperature,  though  in 
the  middle  of  the  antarctic  summer,  was  from  38°  to 
58°  Fahr. 

In  order  to  get  rid  of  these  dangerous  islands  we 
stood  south  and  west,  and  at  length  found  ourselves 
in  south  latitude  65°,  longitude  G0°  east.  We  were 
fortunate  enough  not  to  find  any  ice,  although  we 
were  within  fifteen  hundred  miles  of  the  South  Pole, 
and   far  within   that   impenetrable  icy  barrier  which, 


12  A  Strange  Manuscript 

in  1773,  had  aiTCStod  tlie  progress  of  Captain  Coolc. 
Here  tlie  Avind  failed  us,  and  we  lay  becalmed  and 
drifting.  The  sea  was  open  all  around  us,  except  to 
the  southeast,  where  there  was  a  low  line  along  the 
horizon  terminating  in  a  lofty  promontory;  but  though 
it  looked  like  land  we  took  it  for  ice.  All  around  us 
whales  and  grampuses  were  gambolling  and  spouting 
in  vast  numbers.  The  weather  was  remarkably  fine 
and  clear. 

For  two  or  three  days  the  calm  continued,  and  wc 
drifted  along  helplessly,  until  at  length  we  found  our- 
selves within  a  few  miles  of  the  promontory  above 
mentioned.  It  looked  like  land,  and  seemed  to  be  a 
rocky  island  rising  from  the  depths  of  the  sea.  It 
was,  however,  all  covered  with  ice  and  snow,  and  from 
this  there  extended  eastward  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  an  interminable  line  of  ice,  but  towards  the  south- 
west the  sea  seemed  open  to  navigation.  The  promon- 
tory was  very  singular  in  shape,  rising  up  to  a  peak 
which  was  at  least  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  form- 
ing a  striking  object,  easily  discovered  and  rcadil}'  iden- 
tified by  any  future  explorer.  "We  named  it,  after  our 
ship,  Trevelyan  Peak,  and  then  felt  anxious  to  lose  sight 
of  it  forever.  But  the  calm  continued,  and  at  length 
we  drifted  in  close  enough  to  see  immense  flocks  of 
seals  dotting  the  ice  at  the  foot  of  the  peak. 

Upon  this  I  proposed  to  Agncw,  the  second  mate, 
that  we  should  go  ashore,  shoot  some  seals,  and  bring 
them  back.  This  was  partly  for  the  excitement  of  the 
hunt,  and  partly  for  the  honor  of  landing  in  a  place 
never  before  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man.  Captain 
Bennet  made  some  objections;  but  he  was  old  and  cau- 
tious, and  we  were  young  and  venturesome,  so  we 
laughed  away  his  scruples  and  set  forth.  "We  did  not 
take  any  of  the  crew,  owing  to  the  captain's  objections. 


Found  in  a  Copjpcr  Cylinder.  13 

He  said  that  if  we  chose  to  throw  away  oi;r  own  lives 
he  could  not  help  it,  but  that  he  would  positively  re- 
fuse to  allow  a  single  man  to  go  with  us.  We  thought 
this  refusal  an  excess  of  caution  amounting  to  positive 
cowardice,  but  were  unable  to  change  his  mind.  The 
distance  was  not  great,  the  adventure  Avas  attractive, 
and  so  the  captain's  gig  was  lowered,  and  in  this  Ag- 
new  and  I  rowed  ashore.  We  took  with  us  a  double- 
barrelled  rifle  apiece,  and  also  a  pistol.  Agnew  took  a 
glass. 

We  rowed  for  about  three  miles,  and  reached  the  edge 
of  the  ice,  which  extended  far  out  from  the  promon- 
tory. Here  Ave  landed,  and  secured  the  boat  by  means 
of  a  small  grappling-iron,  which  we  thrust  into  the  ice. 
We  then  Avalked  towards  the  promontory  for  about  a 
mile,  and  here  we  found  a  multitude  of  seals.  These 
animals  were  so  fearless  that  they  made  not  the  slight- 
est movement  as  we  came  up,  but  stared  at  us  in  an  in- 
different way.  We  killed  two  or  three,  and  then  debated 
whether  to  go  to  the  promontory  or  not.  AgncAV  was 
eager  to  go,  so  as  to  touch  the  actual  rock;  but  I  was 
satisfied  Avith  what  we  had  done,  and  was  now  desirous 
of  returning.  In  the  midst  of  this  I  felt  a  flake  of  snoAV 
on  my  cheek.  I  started  and  looked  up.  To  my  great 
surprise  I  saw  that  the  sky  had  changed  since  I  had  last 
noticed  it.  When  Ave  left  the  ship  it  was  clear  and  blue, 
but  now  it  was  overspread  with  dark,  leaden-colored 
clouds,  and  the  snow-flakes  that  had  fallen  were  ominous 
of  evil.  A  snow-storm  here,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ice, 
Avas  too  serious  a  thing  to  be  disregarded.  But  one 
course  noAV  remained,  and  that  was  an  immediate  return 
to  the  ship. 

Each  of  us  seized  a  seal  and  dragged  it  after  us  to  the 
boat.  We  reached  it  and  flung  them  in.  Just  at  that 
moment  a  gun  sounded  OA'cr  the  water.     It  was  from 


14  A  Strange  Manuscript 

the  ship — tlie  signal  of  alarm — the  summons  from  the 
captain  for  our  return.  We  saw  now  that  she  had 
been  drifting  since  we  left  her,  and  had  moved  south- 
west several  miles.  The  row  back  promised  to  be 
far  harder  than  the  pull  ashore,  and,  what  was  worse, 
the  wind  was  coming  up,  the  sea  was  rising,  and  the 
snow  was  thickening.  Neither  of  us  said  a  word.  We 
saw  that  our  situation  was  very  serious,  and  that  we 
had  been  very  foolhardy ;  but  words  were  useless 
now.  The  only  thing  to  be  done  Avas  to  pull  for 
the  ship  with  all  our  strength,  and  that  was  what  we 
did. 

So  we  pushed  off,  and  rowed  as  we  had  never  rowed 
before.  Our  progress  was  difficult.  The  sea  grew 
steadily  rougher ;  the  wind  increased  ;  the  snow  thick- 
ened ;  and,  worst  of  all,  the  day  was  drawing  to  a  close. 
We  had  miscalculated  both  as  to  distance  and  time. 
Even  if  it  had  continued  calm  we  should  have  had  to 
row  back  in  the  dark  ;  but  now  the  sun  Avas  setting,  and 
with  the  darkness  we  had  to  encounter  the  gathering 
storm  and  the  blinding  snow.  We  rowed  in  silence. 
At  every  stroke  our  situation  grew  more  serious.  The 
wind  was  from  the  south,  and  therefore  favored  us  to 
some  extent,  and  also  made  less  of  a  sea  than  would 
have  been  produced  by  a  wind  from  any  other  quarter  ; 
but  then  this  south  wind  brought  dangers  of  its  own, 
which  we  were  soon  to  feel — new  dangers  and  worse 
ones.  For  this  south  wind  drove  the  ship  farther  from 
us,  and  at  the  same  time  broke  up  the  vast  fields  of  ice 
and  impelled  the  fractured  masses  northward.  But  this 
was  a  danger  which  we  did  not  know  just  then.  At 
that  time  we  were  rowing  for  the  ship,  and  amid  the 
darkness  and  the  blinding  snow  and  the  dashing  waves 
we  heard  from  time  to  time  the  report  of  signal-guns 
fired  from  the  ship  to  guide  us  back.     These  were  our 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  15 

only  guide,  for  the  darkness  and  the  snow  had  drawn 
the  ship  from  our  sight,  and  we  had  to  be  guided  by 
our  hearing  only. 

AVe  Avere  rowing  for  our  lives,  and  we  knew  it  ;  but 
every  moment  our  situation  grew  more  desperate.  Each 
new  report  of  the  gun  seemed  to  sound  farther  away. 
"We  seemed  always  to  be  rowing  in  the  wrong  direction. 
At  each  report  we  had  to  shift  the  boat's  course  some- 
v.'hat,  and  pull  towards  the  last  point  from  which  the 
gun  seemed  to  sound.  AVith  all  this  the  wind  was  in- 
creasing rapidly  to  a  gale,  the  sea  was  rising  and  break- 
ing over  the  boat,  the  snow  was  blinding  us  Avith  its  ever- 
thickening  sleet.  The  darkness  deepened,  and  at  length 
had  grown  so  intense  that  nothing  whatever  could  be 
seen — neither  sea  nor  sky,  not  even  the  boat  itself — yet 
we  dared  not  stop  ;  we  had  to  row.  Our  lives  depended 
on  our  efforts.  We  had  to  row,  guided  by  the  sound 
of  the  ship's  gun,  Avliich  the  CA'er-varying  wind  inces- 
santly changed,  till  our  minds  grcAv  all  confused,  and 
we  rowed  blindly  and  mechanically. 

So  we  labored  for  hours  at  the  oars,  and  the  storm 
continually  increased,  and  the  sea  continually  rose,  while 
the  snow  fell  thicker  and  the  darkness  grew  intenser. 
The  reports  of  the  gun  now  grew  fainter ;  what  was 
worse,  they  were  heard  at  longer  intervals,  and  this 
showed  us  that  Captain  Bennet  was  losing  heart  ;  that 
he  was  giving  us  up  ;  that  he  despaired  of  finding  us, 
and  was  now  firing  only  an  occasional  gun  out  of  a 
mournful  sense  of  duty.  This  thought  reduced  us  to 
despair.  It  seemed  as  if  all  our  efforts  had  only  served 
to  take  us  farther  away  from  the  ship,  and  deprived  us 
of  all  motive  for  rowing  any  harder  than  Avas  barely 
necessary  to  keep  the  boat  steady.  After  a  time  Ag- 
new  dropped  his  oar  and  began  to  bail  out  the  boat — a 
Avork  Avhich  was  needed  ;  for,  in  spite  of  our  care,  she 


16  A  Strange  Manuscript 

bad  sliijjped  many  seas,  and  was  one  third  full  of  Avater. 
He  worked  away  at  tliis  while  I  managed  the  boat,  and 
then  we  took  turns  at  bailing.  In  this  way  we  passed 
the  dreary  night. 

Morning  came  at  last.  The  wind  was  not  so  violent, 
but  the  snow  was  so  thick  that  we  could  only  see  for  a 
little  distance  around  us.  The  ship  Avas  nowhere  visi- 
ble, nor  were  there  any  signs  of  her.  The  last  gun 
had  been  fired  during  the  night.  All  that  we  could 
see  was  the  dim  outline  of  a  gaunt  iceberg — an  omi- 
nous spectacle.  Not  knowing  what  else  to  do  we  rowed 
on  as  before,  keeping  in  what  seemed  our  best  course, 
though  this  was  mere  conjecture,  and  we  knew  all  the 
time  that  we  might  be  going  wrong.  There  was  no 
compass  in  the  boat,  nor  could  we  tell  the  sun's  posi- 
tion through  the  thick  snow.  We  rowed  with  the 
wind,  thinking  that  it  was  blowing  towards  the  north, 
and  would  carry  us  in  that  direction.  We  still  hoped 
to  come  within  sound  of  the  ship's  gun,  and  kej^t  strain- 
ing our  ears  incessantly  to  hear  the  Avished-for  report. 
But  no  such  sound  ever  came  again,  and  we  heard 
nothing  except  the  plash  of  the  waves  and  the  crash  of 
breaking  ice.  Thus  all  that  day  we  rowed  along,  rest- 
ing at  intervals  Avhen  exhausted,  and  then  resuming  our 
labors,  until  at  length  night  came  ;  and  again  to  the 
snow  and  ice  and  Avaves  Avas  added  the  horror  of  great 
darkness.  We  passed  that  night  in  deep  misery.  We 
had  eaten  nothing  since  we  left  the  ship,  but  though 
exhausted  by  long  fasting  and  severe  labor,  the  de- 
spair of  our  hearts  took  away  all  desire  for  food.  We 
Avere  worn  out  Avith  hard  Avork,  yet  the  cold  was  too 
great  to  alloAV  us  to  take  rest,  and  we  were  compelled 
to  row  so  as  to  keep  ourselves  from  perishing.  But 
fatigue  and  drowsiness  overcame  us,  and  aa'C  often  sank 
into  sleep  even  while  rowing ;  and  then  after  a  brief 


Found  in  a  Coj^per  Cylinder.  17 

slnmbei*  "vve  Avould  aAvake  with  benumbed  limbs  to  wres- 
tle again  with  the  oars.  In  tliis  way  we  passed  that 
night. 

Another  morning  came,  and  we  found  to  our  great  joy 
that  the  snow  had  ceased.  We  looked  eagerly  around 
to  see  if  there  were  any  signs  of  the  ship.  Nothing 
could  be  seen  of  her.  Far  away  on  one  side  rose  a 
peak,  which  looked  like  the  place  where  we  had  landed. 
Judging  from  the  wind,  which  we  still  supposed  to  be 
southerly,  the  peak  lay  towards  the  northeast ;  in  which 
case  we  had  been  carried  steadily,  in  spite  of  all  our 
efforts,  towards  the  south.  About  a  mile  on  one  side 
of  us  the  ice  began,  and  extended  far  away  ;  Avhile  on 
the  other  side,  at  the  distance  of  some  ten  miles,  there 
was  another  line  of  ice.  "We  seemed  to  have  been  car- 
ried in  a  southwesterly  direction  along  a  broad  strait 
that  ran  into  the  vast  ice-fields.  This  discovery  showed 
how  utterly  useless  our  labors  had  been  ;  for  in  spite 
of  all,  even  with  the  wind  in  our  favor,  we  had  been 
drawn  steadily  in  an  opposite  direction.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  there  was  some  current  here,  stronger  than 
all  our  strength,  which  had  brought  us  to  this  place. 

AYe  now  determined  to  land  on  the  ice,  and  try  to 
cook  a  portion  of  our  seals.  On  approaching  it  we 
noticed  that  there  was  a  current  which  tended  to  draw 
us  past  the  ice  in  what  I  supposed  to  be  a  southwester- 
ly direction.  This  confirmed  my  worst  fears.  But 
now  the  labor  of  landing  and  building  a  fire  on  the  ice 
served  to  interest  us  for  a  time  and  divert  our  thoughts. 
We  brushed  away  the  snow,  and  then  broke  up  a  box 
which  was  in  the  boat,  and  also  the  stern  seats.  This 
we  used  very  sparingly,  reserving  the  rest  for  another 
occasion.  Then  we  cut  portions  from  one  of  the  seals, 
and  laid  them  in  thin  strips  on  the  flames.  The  cook- 
ing was  but  slight,  for  the  meat  was  merely  singed  ; 


18  .1  Strange  Manuscript 

but  we  were  ravenous,  and  the  contact  of  the  fire  wa.s 
enough  to  give  it  an  attractive  flavor.  With  this  food 
we  were  greatly  refreshed  ;  and  as  for  drink,  we  had 
all  around  us  an  endless  extent  of  ice  and  snow.  Then, 
taking  our  precious  fragments  of  cooked  meat,  we  re- 
turned to  the  boat  and  put  off.  We  could  scarcely 
tell  what  to  do  next,  and  while  debating  on  this  point 
we  fell  asleep.  We  slept  far  into  the  night,  then 
awoke  benumbed  Avith  cold  ;  then  took  to  the  oars  till 
we  were  weary  ;  then  fell  asleep  again,  to  be  again 
awakened  by  the  cold  and  again  to  pull  at  the  oars. 
So  the  night  passed,  and  another  day  came. 

The  snow  still  held  off,  but  the  sky  was  overcast 
with  dark,  leaden-colored  clouds,  and  looked  threaten- 
ing. Ice  was  all  around  us  as  before  ;  and  the  open 
water  had  diminished  now  from  ten  miles  to  five  miles 
of  width.  The  ice  on  one  side  was  low,  but  on  the 
opposite  side  it  arose  to  the  height  of  one  hundred 
feet.  We  saw  here,  as  we  watched  the  shore,  that  the 
current  Avhich  had  already  borne  us  thus  far  was  now 
stronger  than  ever,  and  was  carrying  us  along  at  a 
rate  which  made  all  efforts  of  ours  against  it  utterly 
useless.  And  now  a  debate  arose  between  us  as  to  the 
direction  of  this  current.  Agnew  suddenly  declared 
his  belief  that  it  was  running  north,  while  I  was  firm 
in  the  conviction  that  it  ran  south. 

"  There's  no  use  rowing  any  more,"  said  Agnew. 
"If  it  runs  south  we  can't  resist  it.  It's  too  strong. 
But  I  always  like  to  look  on  the  bright  side,  and  so  I 
believe  it  runs  north.  In  that  case  there  is  no  use 
rowing,  for  it  will  carry  us  along  fast  enough." 

Then  I  proposed  that  we  should  go  ashore  on  the 
ice.  To  this  Agnew  objected,  but  afterwards  con- 
sented, at  my  earnest  request.  So  we  tried  to  get 
ashore,  but  this  time  found  it  impossible  ;  for  the  ice 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  19 

consisted  of  a  vast  sheet  of  floating  lumps,  wliicli 
looked  like  the  ruin  of  bergs  that  had  been  broken  up 
in  some  storm.  After  this  I  had  nothing  to  say,  nor 
was  there  anj^thing  left  for  us  but  to  drift  wherever 
the  current  might  carry  us. 

So  we  drifted  for  some  days,  Agnew  all  the  time 
maintaining  that  we  were  going  north,  while  I  was 
sure  tliat  we  were  going  south.  The  sky  remained  as 
cloudy  as  ever,  the  wind  varied  incessantly,  and  there 
was  nothing  by  which  we  could  conjecture  the  points 
of  the  compass.  We  lived  on  our  seal,  and  for  drink 
we  chewed  ice  and  snow.  One  thing  was  certain  —  the 
climate  was  no  colder.  Agnew  laid  great  stress  on 
this. 

"  You  see,"  said  he,  "  we  must  be  going  north.  If 
we  were  going  south  we  should  be  frozen  stiff  by  this 
time." 

"  Yes  ;  but  if  we  were  going  north,"  said  I,  "  we 
ought  to  find  it  growing  warmer." 

"N"o,"  said  he,  "not  with  all  this  ice  around  ns.  It's 
the  ice  that  keeps  the  tem2:)erature  in  this  cold  state." 

Argument  could  do  no  good,  and  so  we  each  re- 
mained true  to  our  belief  —  his  leading  him  to  hope, 
and  mine  dragging  me  down  to  despair.  At  length 
we  finished  the  last  fragment  of  the  seal  that  we  had 
cooked,  and,  finding  ourselves  near  some  firm  ice,  we 
went  ashore  and  cooked  all  that  was  left,  using  the  re- 
mainder of  our  wood  for  fuel,  and  all  that  we  dared 
to  remove  from  the  boat.  Re  -  embarking  with  this, 
we  drifted  on  as  before. 

Several  more  days  passed.  At  last  one  night  I  was 
roused  by  Agnew.  He  pointed  far  away  to  the  dis- 
tant horizon,  where  I  saw  a  deep  red  glow  as  of  fire. 
We  were  both  filled  Avith  wonder  at  the  sight,  and 
were  utterly  unable  to  account  for  it.     We  knew  that 


20  A  Strange  Mamiscript 

it  could  not  be  caused  by  the  sun  or  the  moon,  for  it 
was  midnight,  and  the  cause  lay  on  the  earth  and  not 
in  the  skies.  It  was  a  deep,  lurid  glow,  extending 
along  the  horizon,  and  seemed  to  be  caused  by  some 
vast  conflagration. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  21 


CHAPTER   III. 

A   WORLD    OF   FIRE    AND    DESOLATION. 

At  the  sight  of  that  deep-red  glow  various  feelings 
arose  within  us  :  in  me  there  was  new  dejection ;  in  Ag- 
new  there  was  stronger  hope.  I  could  not  think  but  that 
it  was  our  ship  that  was  on  fire,  and  was  burning  before 
our  eyes.  Agnew  thought  that  it  was  some  burning  for- 
est, and  that  it  showed  our  approach  to  some  habitable 
and  inhabited  land.  For  hour  after  hour  we  watched, 
and  all  the  time  the  current  drew  us  nearer,  and  the 
glow  grew  brighter  and  more  intense.  At  last  we 
were  too  weak  to  watch  any  longer,  and  we  fell  asleep. 

On  waking  our  first  thoughts  were  about  the  fire, 
and  we  looked  eagerly  around.  It  was  day,  but  the 
sky  was  as  gloomy  as  ever,  and  the  fire  was  there  be- 
fore our  eyes,  bright  and  terrible.  We  could  now  see 
it  plainly,  and  discern  the  cause  also.  The  fire  came 
from  two  points,  at  some  distance  apart  —  tAVO  peaks 
rising  above  the  horizon,  from  which  there  burst  forth 
flames  and  smoke  with  incessant  explosions.  All  was 
now  manifest.  It  was  no  burning  ship,  no  blazing 
forest,  no  land  inhabited  by  man :  those  blazing  peaks 
were  two  volcanoes  in  a  state  of  active  eruption,  and 
at  that  sight  I  knew  the  worst. 

"  I  know  where  we  are  now,"  I  said,  despairingly. 

"  Where  ?"  asked  Agnew. 

"That,"  said  I,  "is  the  antarctic  continent. 

"  The  antarctic  fiddlestick,"  said  he,  contemptuously. 
"It  is  far  more  likely  to  be  some  volcanic  island  in 


22  A  Stranr/e  Afanuscripi 

the  South  Sea.  There's  a  tremendous  volcano  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  these  are  something  like  it." 

"I  believe,"  said  I,  "that  these  are  the  very  volca- 
noes that  Sir  James  lloss  discovered  last  year." 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know  where  he  found  them  ?" 
Agnew  asked. 

"  I  do  not,"  I  answered. 

"  Well,  I  do,"  said  he,  "  and  they're  thousands  of 
miles  away  from  this.  They  are  south  latitude  11°, 
east  longitude  167°  ;  while  we,  as  I  guess,  are  about 
south  latitude  40°,  east  longitude  60°." 

"At  any  rate,"  said  I,  "we're  drifting  straight  tow- 
ards them." 

"So  I  see," said  Agnew,  dryly.  "At  any  rate,  the 
current  will  take  us  somewhere.  We  shall  find  our- 
selves carried  past  these  volcanic  islands,  or  through 
them,  and  then  west  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Be- 
sides, even  here  we  may  find  land  with  animals  and 
vegetation;  who  knows?" 

"What!  amid  all  this  ice?"  I  cried.  "Are  you 
mad  ?" 

"Mad?"  said  he;  "I  should  certainly  go  mad  if  I 
hadn't  hope." 

"Hope!"  I  repeated;  "I  have  long  since  given  up 
hope." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  he,  "  enjoy  your  despair,  and  don't 
try  to  deprive  me  of  my  consolation.  My  hope  sus- 
tains me,  and  helps  me  to  cheer  you  up.  It  would  nev- 
er do,  old  fellow,  for  both  of  us  to  knock  under." 

I  said  nothing  more,  nor  did  x\gnew.  We  drifted  on, 
and  all  our  thoughts  were  taken  up  with  the  two  vol- 
canoes, towards  which  we  were  every  moment  drawing 
nearer.  As  Ave  approached  they  grew  larger  and  larger, 
towering  up  to  a  tremendous  height.  I  had  seen  Vesu- 
vius and  Stromboli  and  ^Etna  and  Cotopaxi ;  but  these 


Found  ill  a  Copper  Cylinder.  23 

appeared  far  larger  than  any  of  them,  not  excepting  the 
last.  They  rose,  like  the  Peak  of  Teneriffe,  abruptly 
from  the  sea,  with  no  intervening  hills  to  dwarf  or  di- 
minish their  proportions.  They  were  ten  or  twelve 
miles  apart,  and  the  channel  of  water  in  which  we  were 
drifting  flowed  between  them. 

Here  the  ice  and  snow  ended.  We  thus  came  at  last 
to  land  ;  but  it  Avas  a  land  that  seemed  more  terrible 
than  even  the  bleak  expanse  of  ice  and  snoAV  that  lay 
behind,  for  nothing  could  be  seen  except  a  vast  and 
drear  accumulation  of  lava  blocks  of  every  imaginable 
shape,  without  a  trace  of  vegetation — uninhabited,  un- 
inhabitable, and  unpassable  to  man.  But  just  where 
the  ice  ended  and  the  rocks  began  there  was  a  long, 
low  reef,  which  projected  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  into  the  wMter,  affording  the  only  possible  landing- 
place  within  sight.  Here  we  decided  to  land,  so  as  to 
rest  and  consider  what  was  best  to  be  done. 

Here  we  landed,  and  walked  up  to  where  rugged  lava 
blocks  prevented  any  further  progress.  But  at  this 
spot  our  attention  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  sight  of 
horror.  It  was  a  human  figure  lying  prostrate,  face 
downward. 

At  this  sight  there  came  over  us  a  terrible  sensation. 
Even  Agnew's  buoyant  soul  shrank  back,  and  we  stared 
at  each  other  with  quivering  lips.  It  was  some  time 
before  we  could  recover  ourselves  ;  then  we  went  to 
the  figure,  and  stooped  down  to  examine  it. 

The  clothes  were  those  of  a  European  and  a  sailor  ; 
the  frame  was  emaciated  and  dried  up,  till  it  looked  like 
a  skeleton  ;  the  face  was  blackened  and  all  withered, 
and  the  bony  hands  were  clinched  tight.  It  was  evi- 
dently some  sailor  who  had  suffered  shipwreck  in  tliese 
frightful  solitudes,  and  had  drifted  here  to  starve  to 
death   in   this   appalling  wilderness.      It  was  a   sight 


24  A  Strange  Manuscript 

which  seemed  ominous  of  our  own  fate,  and  Aguew's 
boasted  hope,  which  had  so  long  upheld  him,  now  sank 
down  into  a  despair  as  deep  as  my  own.  What  room 
was  there  now  for  hope,  or  how  could  we  expect  any 
other  fate  than  this  ? 

At  length  I  began  to  search  the  pockets  of  the  de- 
ceased. 

"What  are  you  doing?"  asked  Agnew,  in  a  hoarse 
voice.. 

"I'm  trying  to  find  out  who  he  is,"  I  said.  "Per- 
haps there  may  be  papers." 

As  I  said  this  I  felt  something  in  the  breast-pocket 
of  his  jacket,  and  drew  it  forth.  It  was  a  leather  pocket- 
book,  mouldy  and  rotten  like  the  clothing.  On  open- 
ing it,  it  fell  to  pieces.  There  was  nothing  in  it  but 
a  piece  of  paper,  also  mouldy  and  rotten.  This  I  un- 
folded with  great  care,  and  saw  writing  there,  which, 
though  faded,  was  still  legible.  It  was  a  letter,  and 
there  were  still  signs  of  long  and  frequent  pei'usals,  and 
marks,  too,  which  looked  as  though  made  by  tears — 
tears,  perhaps  of  the  writei",  perhaps  of  the  reader  : 
who  can  tell  ?  I  have  preserved  this  letter  ever  since, 
and  I  now  fasten  it  here  upon  this  sheet  of  my  manu- 
script. 

^  THE  LETTER. 

"Bristol  April  20.  1820. 
"my  darling  torn 

"  i  -writ  you  these  few  lines  in  hast  i  don  like 
youar  gon  a  vralen  an  in  the  south  sea  dont  go  darlin  torn  or 
mebhc  ill  never  se  you  agin  for  ave  bad  drcms  of  you  darlin  torn 
an  im  afraid  so  don  go  my  darlin  torn  but  come  back  an  take  anoth 
ship  for  America  baby  is  as  wcl  as  ever  but  mises  is  pa  an  as  got 
a  new  tooth  an  i  think  j'ou  otnt  go  a  walen  o  darlin  torn  *  *  * 
sea  as  the  wages  was  i  in  New  York  an  better  go  thar  an  id  like  to 
go  ther  for  good  for  they  gives  good  wages  in  America.  O  come 
back  my  Darlin  torn  and  take  me  to  America  an  the  baby  an  wecl 
all  live  an  love  an  di  together  Your  loving  wife 

"Policy  Reed." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  25 

I  began  to  road  this,  but  there  came  a  lump  in  my 
throat,  and  I  had  to  stop.  Agnew  leaned  on  my  shoul- 
der, and  we  both  read  it  in  silence.  He  rubbed  the 
back  of  his  hand  over  his  eyes  and  drew  a  long  breath. 
Then  he  walked  away  for  a  little  distance,  and  I  put 
the  letter  carefully  away  in  my  own  pocket-book.  Af- 
ter a  little  while  Agnew  came  back. 

"  More,"  said  he,  "  do  you  remember  any  of  the  burial- 
service  ?" 

I  understood  his  meaning  at  once. 

"Yes,"  I  said,  "some  of  it — a  good  deal  of  it,  I 
think." 

"That's  good,"  said  he.  "Let's  put  the  poor  fellow 
under  ground." 

"It  would  be  hard  to  do  that," I  said  ;  "we'll  have  to 
bury  him  in  the  snow." 

At  this  Agnew  went  off  for  a  little  distance  and 
clambered  over  the  rocks.  He  was  not  gone  long. 
When  he  returned  he  said,  "  I've  found  some  crumbled 
pumice-stone  ;  we  can  scoop  a  grave  for  him  there." 

We  then  raised  the  body  and  carried  it  to  the  place 
which  Agnew  had  found.  So  emaciated  was  the  poor 
dead  sailor  that  his  remains  were  no  heavier  than  a 
small  boy.  On  reaching  the  spot,  we  found  the  crum- 
bled pumice-stone.  We  placed  the  body  in  a  crevice 
among  the  lava  rocks,  and  then  I  said  what  I  could  re- 
member of  the  burial-service.  After  this  we  carried  in 
our  hands  the  crumbled  pumice-stone  until  we  had 
covered  the  body,  and  thus  gave  the  poor  fellow  a 
Christian  burial. 

We  then  returned  to  the  shore. 

"  More,  old  fellow,"  said  Agnew,  "  I  feel  the  better 
for  this  ;  the  service  has  done  me  good." 

"  And  me  too,"  said  I.  "  It  has  reminded  me  of  what 
I  had  forgotten.    This  world  is  only  a  part  of  life.    We 


26  A  Strange  Manuscript 

may  lose  it  and  yet  live  on.  There  is  another  world  ; 
and  if  we  can  only  keep  that  in  our  minds  we  sha'n't  be 
so  ready  to  sink  into  despair — that  is,  I  sha'n't.  De- 
spair is  my  weakness  ;  you  are  more  hopeful." 

"Yes,"  said  Agnew,  solemnly;  "but  my  hope  thus 
far  has  referred  only  to  the  safety  of  my  skin.  After 
this  I  shall  try  to  think  of  my  soul,  and  cultivate,  not 
the  hope  of  escape,  but  the  hope  full  of  immortality. 
Yes,  More,  after  all  we  shall  live,  if  not  in  England,  then, 
let  us  hope,  in  heaven." 

There  was  a  long  silence  after  this — that  kind  of  si- 
lence which  one  may  j^reserve  Avho  is  at  the  point  of 
death. 

"  I  wonder  how  he  got  here  ?"  said  Agnew,  at  last. 
"  The  letter  mentions  a  whaler.  No  doubt  the  ship  has 
been  driven  too  far  south  ;  it  has  foundered  ;  he  has 
escaped  in  a  boat,  either  alone  or  with  others  ;  he  has 
been  carried  along  this  channel,  and  has  landed  here, 
afraid  to  go  any  farther." 

"  But  his  boat,  what  has  become  of  that  ?" 

"  His  boat !  That  must  have  gone  long  ago.  Tlie 
letter  was  written  in  1820.  At  any  rate,  let's  look 
around." 

We  did  so.  After  some  search  we  found  the  frag- 
ments of  a  rotted  rope  attached  to  a  piece  of  rock. 

"That,"  said  Agnew,  "must  have  been  fastened  to 
the  boat ;  and  as  for  the  boat  herself,  she  has  long  ago 
been  swept  away  from  tliis." 

"  What  shall  we  do  now  ?"  I  said,  after  a  long  silence. 

"  There's  only  one  thing,"  said  Agnew.  "  We  must 
go  on." 

"  Go  on  ?"  I  asked,  in  wonder. 

"Certainly,"  said  he,  confidently.  "Will  you  stay 
here  ?  No.  Will  you  go  back  ?  You  can't.  We  must, 
therefore,  go  on.     That  is  our  only  hope." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  27 

"  Hope  !"  I  cried.     "  Do  you  still  talk  of  hope  ?" 

"  Hope  ?"  said  Agnew  ;  "  of  course.  Why  not  ? 
There  are  no  limits  to  hope,  are  there  ?  One  can  hope 
anything  anywhere.  It  is  better  to  die  while  struggling 
like  a  man,  full  of  hope  and  energy,  than  to  perish  in 
inaction  and  despair.  It  is  better  to  die  in  the  storm 
and  furious  waters  than  to  waste  away  in  this  awful 
place.  So  come  along.  Let's  drift  as  before.  Let's 
see  where  this  channel  will  take  us.  It  will  certainly 
take  us  somewhere.  Such  a  stream  as  this  must  have 
some  outlet." 

"This  stream,"  said  I,  "will  take  ns  to  death,  and 
death  only.  The  current  grows  switter  every  hour. 
I've  heard  some  old  yarn  of  a  vast  opening  at  each  of 
the  poles,  or  one  of  them,  into  which  the  waters  of  the 
ocean  pour.  They  fall  into  one,  and  some  say  they  go 
through  and  come  out  at  the  other." 

Agnew  laughed. 

"That,"  said  he,  "is  a  madman's  dream.  In  the  first 
place,  I  don't  believe  that  we  are  approaching  the  south, 
but  the  north.  The  warmth  of  the  climate  here  shows 
that.  Yes,  we  are  drawing  north.  We  shall  soon 
emerge  into  warm  Avaters  and  bright  skies.  So  come 
along,  and  let  us  lose  no  more  time." 

I  made  no  further  objection.  There  was  nothing  else 
to  be  done,  and  at  the  very  worst  we  could  not  be  in 
jcreater  danajer  while  drifting  on  than  in  remaining  be- 
hind.  Soon,  therefore,  we  were  again  in  the  boat,  and 
the  current  swept  us  on  as  before. 

The  channel  now  was  about  four  miles  wide.  On 
either  side  arose  the  lofty  volcanoes  vomiting  forth 
flames  and  smoke  witli  furious  explosions  ;  vast  stones 
were  hurled  up  into  the  air  from  the  craters  ;  streams 
of  molten  lava  rolled  down,  and  at  intervals  there  fell 
great  showers  of  ashes.     The  shores  on  either  side  were 


28  A  Strange  Manuscript 

precipitous  and  rugged  beyond  all  description,  looking 
like  fiery  lava  streams  which  had  been  arrested  by  the 
flood,  and  cooled  into  gloomy,  overhanging  cliffs.  The 
lava  rock  was  of  a  deep,  dull  slate-color,  which  at  a  dis- 
tance looked  black  ;  and  the  blackness  which  thus  suc- 
ceeded to  the  whiteness  of  the  snow  behind  us  seemed 
like  the  funeral  pall  of  nature.  Through  scenes  like 
these  we  drifted  on,  and  the  volcanoes  on  either  side  of 
the  channel  towered  on  high  with  their  fiery  floods  of 
lava,  their  incessant  explosions,  their  fierce  outbursts  of 
flames,  and  overhead  there  rolled  a  dense  black  canopy 
of  smoke — altogether  forming  a  terrific  aj^proach  to 
that  unknown  and  awful  pathway  upon  which  we  were 
going.  So  we  passed  this  dread  portal,  and  then  there 
lay  before  us — what  ?  Was  it  a  land  of  life  or  a  land 
of  death  ?     Who  could  say  ? 

It  was  evening  when  we  passed  through.  Night 
came  on,  and  the  darkness  was  illuminated  by  the  fiery 
glow  of  the  volcanic  flames.  Worn  out  with  fatigue, 
we  fell  asleep.  So  the  night  passed,  and  the  current 
bore  us  on  until,  at  length,  the  morning  came.  We 
awoke,  and  now,  for  the  first  time  in  many  days,  we 
saw  the  face  of  the  sun.  The  clouds  had  at  last  broken, 
the  sky  was  clear,  and  behind  us  the  sun  was  shining. 
That  sight  told  us  all.  It  showed  us  where  we  were 
going. 

I  pointed  to  the  sun. 

"  Look  there,"  said  I.  "  There  is  the  sun  in  the  north- 
ern sky  —  behind  us.  We  have  been  drifting  steadily 
towards  the  south." 

At  this  Agnew  was  silent,  and  sat  looking  back  for 
a  long  time.  There  wo  could  still  see  the  glow  of  the 
volcanic  fires,  though  they  were  now  many  miles  away  ; 
while  the  sun,  but  lately  risen,  was  lying  on  a  course 
closer  to  the  horizon  than  we  had  ever  seen  it  before. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cy Under.  29 

"  Wc  arc  going  soulh,"  said  I — "  to  the  South  Pole. 
This  swift  current  can  have  but  one  ending — there  may- 
be an  opening  at  the  South  Pole,  or  a  whirlpool  like  the 
Maelstrom." 

Agnew  looked  around  with  a  smile. 

"All  these  notions,"  said  he,  "are  dreams,  or  theories, 
or  guesses.  There  is  no  evidence  to  prove  them.  Why 
trouble  yourself  about  a  guess  ?  You  and  I  can  guess, 
and  with  better  reason  ;  for  we  have  now,  it  seems, 
come  farther  south  than  any  human  being  who  has  ever 
lived.  Do  not  imagine  that  the  surface  of  the  earth  is 
different  at  the  poles  from  what  it  is  anywhere  else.  If 
we  get  to  the  South  Pole  we  shall  see  there  what  we 
have  always  seen — the  open  view  of  land  or  water,  and 
the  boundary  of  the  horizon.  As  for  tliis  current,  it 
seems  to  me  like  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  it  evidently  does 
an  important  Avork  in  the  movement  of  the  ocean  waters. 
It  pours  on  through  vast  fields  of  ice  on  its  way  to  oth- 
er oceans,  where  it  will  probably  become  united  with 
new  currents.  Theories  about  openings  at  the  poles,  or 
whirlpools,  must  be  given  up.  Since  the  Maelstrom  has 
been  found  to  be  a  fiction  no  one  need  believe  in  any 
other  whirlpool.  For  my  own  part,  I  now  believe  that 
this  current  will  bear  us  on,  due  south,  over  the  pole, 
and  then  still  onward,  until  at  last  we  shall  find  our- 
selves in  the  South  Pacific  Ocean.  So  cheer  up — don't 
be  downhearted  :  there's  still  hope.  We  have  left  the 
ice  and  snow  behind,  and  already  the  air  is  Avarmer. 
Cheer  up  ;  we  may  find  our  luck  turn  at  any  moment." 

To  this  I  had  no  reply  to  make.  Agnew's  confidence 
seemed  to  me  to  be  assumed,  and  certainly  did  not  alle- 
viate my  own  deep  gloom,  nor  was  the  scene  around 
calculated  to  rouse  me  in  the  slightest  degree  out  of  my 
despair.  The  channel  had  now  lessened  to  a  width  of 
not  more  than  two  miles  ;  the  shores  on  cither  side  were 


30  A  Strange  Manuscript 

precipitous  cliffs,  broken  by  occasional  declivities,  but 
all  of  solid  rock,  so  dark  as  to  be  almost  black,  and  evi- 
dently of  volcanic  origin.  At  times  there  arose  rugged 
eminences,  scarred  and  riven,  indescribably  dismal  and 
appalling.  There  was  not  only  an  utter  absence  of  life 
here  in  these  abhorrent  regions,  but  an  actual  impossi- 
bility of  life  which  was  enough  to  make  the  stoutest 
heart  quail.  The  rocks  looked  like  iron.  It  seemed  a 
land  of  iron  penetrated  by  this  ocean  stream  which  had 
made  for  itself  a  channel,  and  now  bore  us  onward  to  a 
destination  which  was  beyond  all  conjecture. 

Through  such  scenes  we  drifted  all  that  day.  Night 
came,  and  in  the  skies  overhead  there  arose  a  brilliant 
display  of  the  aurora  australis,  while  towards  the  north 
the  volcanic  fires  glowed  with  intense  lustre.  That 
night  we  slept.  On  awaking  we  noticed  a  change  in 
the  scene.  The  shores,  though  still  black  and  forbid- 
ding, were  no  longer  precipitous,  but  sloped  down  grad- 
ually to  the  water  ;  the  climate  was  sensibly  milder, 
and  far  away  before  us  there  arose  a  line  of  giant  moun- 
tains, whose  summits  were  covered  with  ice  and  snow  that 
gleamed  white  and  purple  in  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

Suddenly  Agnew  gave  a  cry,  and  pointed  to  the  op- 
posite shore. 

"  Look  !"  he  cried — "  do  you  see  ?     They  are  men  !" 

I  looked,  and  there  I  saw  plainly  some  moving  figures 
that  were,  beyond  a  doubt,  human  beings. 


Found  in  a  Copj^er  Cylinder,  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 

TUE    SIGHT    OF    nUMA>^   BEINGS. 

The  sight  of  human  beings,  thus  unexpectedly  found, 
filled  us  with  strange  feelings — feelings  which  I  cannot 
explain.  The  country  was  still  iron-bound  and  dark  and 
forbidding,  and  the  stream  ran  on  in  a  strong  current, 
deep,  black  as  ink,  and  resistless  as  fate  ;  the  sky  be- 
hind was  lighted  up  by  the  volcanic  glare  which  still 
shone  from  afar  ;  and  in  front  the  view  was  bounded  by 
the  icy  heights  of  a  mountain  chain.  Here  was,  indeed, 
a  strange  country  for  a  human  habitation  ;  and  strange, 
indeed,  were  the  human  beings  whom  we  saw. 

"  Shall  we  land?"  said  Agnew. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  I.  "  Don't  be  hasty.  The  elements 
are  sometimes  kinder  than  men,  and  I  feel  safer  here, 
even  in  this  river  of  death,  than  ashore  with  such  creat- 
ures as  those." 

Agnew  made  no  reply.  AVe  watched  the  figures  on 
the  shore.  We  saw  them  coming  down,  staring  and 
gesticulating.  We  drew  on  nearer  to  them  till  we  were 
able  to  see  them  better.  A  nearer  view  did  not  im- 
prove them.  They  were  human  beings,  certainly,  but 
of  such  an  ai:)palling  aspect  that  they  could  only  be 
likened  to  animated  mummies.  They  were  small,  thin, 
shrivelled,  black,  with  long  matted  hair  and  hideous 
faces.  They  all  had  long  spears,  and  wore  about  the 
waist  short  skirts  that  seemed  to  be  made  of  the  skin 
of  some  sea-fowl. 

We  could  not  imagine  how  these  crcatui'cs  lived,  or 


32  A  Strange  Manuscript 

■\vlicve.  There  were  no  signs  of  vegetation  of  any  kind 
— not  a  tree  or  a  shrub.  There  were  no  animals ;  but 
there  were  great  flocks  of  birds,  some  of  which  seemed 
different  from  anything  that  we  had  ever  seen  before. 
The  long  spears  which  the  natives  carried  might  possi- 
bly be  used  for  catching  these,  or  for  fishing  purposes. 
This  thought  made  them  seem  less  formidable,  since 
they  would  thus  be  instruments  of  food  rather  than 
weapons  of  war.  Meanwhile  we  drifted  on  as  before, 
and  the  natives  watched  us,  running  along  the  shore 
abreast  of  us,  so  as  to  keep  up  with  the  boat.  There 
seemed  over  a  hundred  of  them.  "VVe  could  see  no  signs 
of  any  habitations — no  huts,  however  humble  ;  but  we 
concluded  that  their  abodes  were  farther  inland.  As 
for  the  natives  themselves,  the  longer  we  looked  at 
them  the  moi'e  abhorrent  they  grew.  Even  the  wretched 
aborigines  of  Van  Dieman's  Land,  who  have  been  classed 
lowest  in  the  scale  of  humanity,  were  pleasing  and  con- 
genial when  compared  with  these,  and  the  land  looked 
worse  than  Tierra  del  Fuego.  It  looked  like  a  land 
of  iron,  and  its  inhabitants  like  fiends. 

Agnew  again  proposed  to  land,  but  I  refused. 

"  No,"  I  said  ;  "  I'd  rather  starve  for  a  week,  and 
live  on  hope.  Let  us  drift  on.  If  we  go  on  we  may 
have  hope  if  we  choose,  but  if  we  land  here  we  shall 
lose  even  that.  Can  Ave  hope  for  anything  from  such 
things  as  these  ?  Even  if  they  prove  friendly,  can  we 
live  among  them  ?  To  stay  here  is  worse  than  death  ; 
our  only  hope  is  to  go  on." 

Agnew  made  no  reply,  and  we  drifted  on  for  two 
hours,  still  followed  by  the  natives.  They  made  no 
hostile  demonstrations.  They  merely  watched  us,  ap- 
parently from  motives  of  curiosity.  All  this  time  we 
were  draAving  steadily  nearer  to  the  line  of  lofty  moun- 
tains, which  with  their  icy  crests  rose  before  us  like  an 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  33 

inaccessible  and  impassable  barrier,  apparently  closinj^ 
up  all  farther  progress  ;  nor  was  there  any  indication 
of  any  pass  or  any  opening,  however  narrow,  through 
which  the  great  stream  might  run.  Nothing  was  there 
but  one  unbroken  wall  of  iron  cliffs  and  icy  summits. 
At  last  we  saw  that  the  sloping  shores  grew  steeper, 
until,  about  a  mile  or  two  before  us,  they  changed  to 
towering  cliffs  that  rose  up  on  each  side  for  about  a 
thousand  feet  above  the  water;  here  the  stream  ran, 
and  became  lost  to  view  as  completely  as  though  swal- 
lowed up  by  the  earth. 

"  We  can  go  no  farther,"  said  Agnew.  "  See — this 
stream  seems  to  make  a  plunge  there  into  the  moun- 
tains. There  must  be  some  deep  canon  there  with 
cataracts.  To  go  on  is  certain  death.  We  must  stop 
here,  if  only  to  deliberate.  Say,  shall  we  risk  it  among 
these  natives?  After  all,  there  is  not,  perhaps,  any 
danger  among  them.  They  are  little  creatures  and 
seem  harmless.  They  are  certainly  not  very  good- 
looking  ;  but  then,  you  know,  appearances  often  de- 
ceive, and  the  devil's  not  so  black  as  he's  painted. 
What  do  you  say  ?" 

"  I  suppose  we  can  do  nothing  else,"  said  I. 

In  fact,  I  could  see  that  we  had  reached  a  crisis  in 
our  fate.  To  go  on  seemed  certain  death.  To  stop 
was  our  only  alternative  ;  and  as  we  were  armed  we 
should  not  be  altogether  at  the  mercy  of  these  creat- 
ures. Plaving  made  this  decision  we  acted  upon  it  at 
once,  for  in  such  a  current  there  was  no  time  for  de- 
lay ;  and  so,  seizing  the  oars,  we  soon  brought  the 
boat  ashore. 

As  we  approached,  the  crowd  of  natives  stood  await- 
ing us,  and  looked  more  repulsive  than  ever.  We  could 
see  the  emaciation  of  their  bony  frames  ;  their  toes  and 
fingers  were  like  birds'  claws  ;  their  eyes  were  small 
2* 


34  A  Strange  Manuscript 

and  dull  and  weak,  and  sunken  in  cavernous  hollows, 
from  wliicli  they  looked  at  us  like  corpses — a  horrihle 
sight.  They  stood  quietly,  however,  and  without  any 
hostile  demonstration,  holding  their  spears  carelessly 
resting  upon  the  ground. 

"  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  them,"  said  I.  "  I  think 
I  had  better  fire  a  gun." 

"  Why  ?"  cried  Agnew.  "  For  Heaven's  sake,  man, 
don't  hurt  any  of  them  !" 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  I ;  "  I  only  mean  to  inspire  a  little 
wholesome  respect." 

Saying  this  I  fired  in  the  air.  The  report  rang  out 
Avith  long  echoes,  and  as  the  smoke  swept  away  it 
showed  us  all  the  natives  on  the  ground.  They  had 
seated  themselves  with  their  hands  crossed  on  their 
laps,  and  there  they  sat  looking  at  us  as  before,  but 
with  no  manifestation  of  fear  or  even  surprise.  I  had 
expected  to  see  them  run,  but  there  was  nothing  of 
the  kind.  This  puzzled  us.  Still,  there  was  no  time 
now  for  any  further  hesitation.  The  current  was  sweep- 
ing us  towards  the  chasm  between  the  cliffs,  and  we 
had  to  land  without  delay.  This  we  did,  and  as  I  had 
another  barrel  still  loaded  and  a  pistol,  I  felt  that  with 
these  arms  and  those  of  Agnew  we  should  be  able  to 
defend  ourselves.  It  was  in  this  state  of  mind  that 
we  landed,  and  secured  the  boat  by  means  of  the  grap- 
pling-iron. 

The  natives  now  all  crowded  around  us,  making 
many  strange  gestures,  which  we  did  not  understand. 
Some  of  them  bowed  low,  others  prostrated  them- 
selves ;  on  the  whole  these  seemed  like  marks  of  re- 
spect, and  it  occurred  to  me  that  they  regarded  us  as 
superior  beings  of  some  sort.  It  was  evident  that  there 
was  nothing  like  hostility  in  their  minds.  At  the  same 
time,  the  closer  survey  which  I  now  made  of  them 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  35 

filled  me  with  renewed  horror  ;  their  meagre  frames, 
small,  watery,  lack-lustre  eyes,  hollow,  cavernous  sock- 
ets, sunken  cheeks,  protruding  teeth,  claw-like  fingers, 
and  withered  skins,  all  made  them  look  more  than  ever 
like  animated  mummies,  and  I  shrank  from  them  invol- 
untarily, as  one  shrinks  from  contact  with  a  corpse. 

Agnew,  however,  was  very  different,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  he  felt  no  repugnance  whatever.  lie  bowed 
and  smiled  at  them,  and  shook  hands  with  half  a  dozen 
of  them  in  succession.  The  hand-shaking  was  a  new 
thing  to  them,  but  they  accepted  it  in  a  proper  spirit, 
and  renewed  their  bows  and  prostrations.  After  this 
they  all  offered  us  their  lances.  This  certainly  seemed 
like  an  act  of  peace  and  good-will.  I  shook  my  head 
and  declined  to  touch  them ;  but  Agnew  accepted  one 
of  them,  and  offered  his  rifle  in  return.  The  one  to 
whom  he  offered  it  refused  to  take  it.  He  seemed  im- 
mensely gratified  because  Agnew  had  taken  his  lance, 
and  the  others  seemed  disappointed  at  liis  refusal  to 
take  theirs.  But  I  felt  my  heart  quake  as  I  saw  him 
offer  his  rifle,  and  still  more  when  he  offered  it  to  one 
or  two  others,  and  only  regained  my  composure  as  I 
perceived  that  his  offer  was  refused  by  all. 

They  now  made  motions  to  us  to  follow,  and  we  all 
set  forth  together. 

"My  dear  More,"  said  Agnew,  cheerily,  "they're  not 
a  bad  lot.  They  mean  well.  They  can't  help  their 
looks.  You're  too  suspicions  and  reserved.  Let's  make 
friends  with  them,  and  get  them  to  help  us.  Do  as 
I  do." 

I  tried  to,  but  found  it  impossible,  for  my  repugnance 
was  immovable.  It  was  like  the  horror  which  one  feels 
towards  rats,  cockroaches,  earwigs,  or  serpents.  It  was 
something  that  defied  reason.  These  creatures  seemed 
like  human  vermin. 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  35 

filled  mo  with  renewed  horror  ;  their  meagre  frames, 
small,  watery,  lack-lustre  eyes,  hollow,  cavernous  sock- 
ets, sunken  cheeks,  protruding  teeth,  claw-like  fingers, 
and  withered  skins,  all  made  them  look  more  than  ever 
like  animated  mummies,  and  I  shrank  from  them  invol- 
untarily, as  one  shrinks  from  contact  with  a  corpse. 

Agnew,  however,  was  very  different,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  he  felt  no  repugnance  whatever,  lie  Lowed 
and  smiled  at  them,  and  shook  hands  with  half  a  dozen 
of  them  in  succession.  The  hand-shaking  was  a  new 
thing  to  them,  but  they  accepted  it  in  a  proper  spirit, 
and  renewed  their  bows  and  prostrations.  After  this 
they  all  offered  us  their  lances.  This  certainly  seemed 
like  an  act  of  peace  and  good-will.  I  shook  my  head 
and  declined  to  touch  them ;  but  Agnew  accepted  one 
of  them,  and  offered  his  rifle  in  return.  The  one  to 
whom  he  offered  it  refused  to  take  it.  He  seemed  im- 
mensely gratified  because  Agnew  had  taken  his  lance, 
and  the  others  seemed  disappointed  at  his  refusal  to 
take  theirs.  But  I  felt  ray  heart  quake  as  I  saw  him 
offer  his  rifle,  and  still  more  when  he  offered  it  to  one 
or  two  others,  and  only  regained  my  composure  as  I 
perceived  that  his  offer  Avas  refused  by  all. 

They  now  made  motions  to  us  to  follow,  and  we  all 
set  forth  together. 

"My  dear  More,"  said  Agnew,  cheerily,  "they're  not 
a  bad  lot.  They  mean  well.  They  can't  help  their 
looks.  You're  too  suspicions  and  reserved.  Lot's  make 
friends  with  them,  and  get  them  to  help  us.  Do  as 
I  do." 

I  tried  to,  but  found  it  impossible,  for  my  repugnance 
was  immovable.  It  was  like  the  horror  which  one  feels 
towards  rats,  cockroaches,  earwigs,  or  serpents.  It  was 
something  that  defied  reason.  These  creatures  seemed 
like  human  vermin. 


36  A  Strange  Manuscript 

We  marched  inland  for  about  half  a  mile,  crossed  a 
ridge,  and  came  to  a  valley,  or  rather  a  kind  of  hollow, 
at  the  other  side  of  which  we  found  a  cave  with  a 
smouldering  fire  in  front.  The  fire  was  made  of  coal, 
which  must  exist  here  somewhere.  It  was  highly  bitu- 
minous, and  burned  with  a  great  blaze. 

The  day  was  now  drawing  to  a  close  ;  far  away  I 
could  see  the  lurid  glow  of  the  volcanoes,  which  grew 
brighter  as  the  day  declined  :  above,  the  skies  twinkled 
with  innumerable  stars,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  the 
moan  of  rushing  waters. 

We  entered  the  cave.  As  we  did  so  the  natives 
heaped  coal  upon  the  fire,  and  the  flames  arose,  light- 
ing up  the  interior.  We  found  here  a  number  of  women 
and  children,  who  looked  at  us  without  either  fear  or 
curiosity.  The  children  looked  like  little  dwarfs  ;  the 
women  were  hags,  hideous  beyond  description.  One 
old  woman  in  particular,  who  seemed  to  be  in  authority, 
was  actually  terrible  in  her  awful  and  repulsive  ugli- 
ness. A  nightmare  dream  never  furnished  forth  a  more 
frightful  object.  This  nightmare  hag  prostrated  her- 
self before  each  of  us  with  such  an  air  of  self-immola- 
tion that  she  looked  as  though  she  wished  us  to  kill  her 
at  once.  The  rough  cave,  the  red  light  of  the  fire,  all 
made  the  scene  more  awful ;  and  a  wild  thought  came 
to  me  that  we  had  actually  reached,  while  yet  living, 
the  infernal  world,  and  that  this  was  the  abode  of  dev- 
ils. Yet  their  actions,  it  must  be  confessed,  were  far 
from  devilish.  Every  one  seemed  eager  to  serve  us. 
Some  spread  out  couches  formed  of  the  skins  of  birds 
for  us  to  sit  on  ;  others  attended  to  the  fire  ;  others 
offered  us  gifts  of  large  and  beautiful  feathers,  together 
with  numerous  trinkets  of  rare  and  curious  workman- 
ship. This  kind  attention  on  their  part  was  a  great 
puzzle  to  me,  and  I  could  not  help  suspecting  that  be- 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  37 

ncath  all  this  there  must  be  some  sinister  design.  Re- 
solving to  be  prepared  for  the  worst,  I  quietly  reloaded 
the  empty  barrel  of  my  rifle  and  Avatched  with  the  ut- 
most vigilance.  As  for  Agnew,  he  took  it  all  in  the 
most  unsuspicious  manner.  He  made  signs  to  them, 
shook  hands  with  them,  accepted  their  gifts,  and  even 
tried  to  do  the  agreeable  to  the  formidable  hags  and 
the  child-fiends  around  him.  He  soon  attracted  the 
chief  attention,  and  while  all  looked  admiringly  upon 
him,  I  was  left  to  languish  in  comparative  neglect. 

At  length  a  savory  odor  came  through  the  cave,  and 
a  repast  was  spread  before  us.  It  consisted  of  some 
large  fowl  that  looked  like  a  goose,  but  was  twice  as 
large  as  the  largest  turkey  that  I  had  ever  seen.  The 
taste  was  like  that  of  a  wild-goose,  but  rather  fishy. 
Still  to  us  it  seemed  delicious,  for  our  prolonged  diet 
of  raw  seal  had  made  us  ready  to  welcome  any  other 
food  whatever ;  and  this  fowl,  whatever  it  was,  would 
not  have  been  unwelcome  to  any  hungry  man.  It  was 
evident  that  these  people  lived  on  the  flesh  of  birds  of 
various  sorts.  All  around  us  we  saw  the  skins  of  birds 
dried  with  the  feathers  on,  and  used  for  clothing,  for 
mats,  and  for  ornaments. 

The  repast  being  finished, we  both  felt  greatly  strength- 
ened and  refreshed.  Agnew  continued  to  cultivate  his 
new  acquaintances,  and  seeing  me  holding  back,  he  said, 

"  More,  old  fellow,  these  good  people  give  me  to  un- 
derstand that  there  is  another  place  better  than  this, 
and  want  me  to  go  with  them.     Will  you  go?" 

At  this  a  great  fear  seized  me. 

"  Don't  go  !"  I  cried — "  don't  go  !  We  are  close  by 
the  boat  here,  and  if  anything  happens  we  can  easily 
get  to  it." 

Agnew  laughed  in  my  face. 

"  Why,  you  don't  mean  to  tell  me,"  said  he,  "  that 


38  A  Strange  Manuscript 

you  are  still  suspicious,  and  after  that  dinner?  Why, 
man,  if  they  -wanted  to  harm  us,  would  they  feast  us  in 
this  style  ?  Nonsense,  man  !  Droj^  your  susj^icions  and 
come  along." 

I  shook  my  head  obstinately. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "if  I  thought  there  was  anything 
in  your  suspicions  I  would  stay  hy  you  ;  but  I'm  con- 
fident they  mean  nothing  but  kindness,  so  I'm  going 
off  to  see  the  place." 

"  You'll  be  back  again  ?"  said  I. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  he,  "  of  course  I'll  come  back,  and 
sleep  here." 

With  these  words  he  left,  and  nearly  all  the  people 
accompanied  him.  I  was  left  behind  with  the  women 
and  children  and  about  a  dozen  men.  These  men  busied 
themselves  with  some  work  over  bird-skins  ;  the  women 
were  occupied  with  some  other  work  over  feathers.  No 
one  took  any  notice  of  me.  There  did  not  seem  to  be 
any  restraint  upon  me,  nor  was  I  watched  in  any  way. 
Once  the  nightmare  hag  came  and  offered  me  a  small 
roasted  fowl,  about  the  size  of  a  woodcock.  I  declined 
it,  but  at  the  same  time  this  delicate  attention  certainly 
surprised  me. 

I  was  now  beginning  to  struggle  with  some  success 
against  my  feelings  of  abhorrence,  when  suddenly  I 
caught  sight  of  something  which  chased  away  every 
other  thought,  and  made  my  blood  turn  cold  in  my 
veins.  It  was  something  outside.  At  the  mouth  of  the 
cave — by  the  fire  which  was  still  blazing  bright,  and 
lighting  up  the  scene — I  saw  four  men  who  had  just 
come  to  the  cave  :  they  were  carrying  something  Avliich 
I  at  first  supposed  to  be  a  sick  or  wounded  companion. 
On  reaching  the  fire  they  put  it  down,  and  I  saw,  with 
a  thrill  of  dismay,  that  their  burden  was  neither  sick 
nor  wounded,  but  dead,  for  the  corpse  lay  rigid  as  they 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  39 

had  placed  it.  Then  I  saw  the  nightmare  hag  approach 
it  with  a  knife.  An  awful  thought  came  to  me — the 
crowning  horror  !  The  thought  soon  proved  to  he  but 
too  well  founded.  The  nightmare  hag  began  to  cut,  and 
in  an  instant  had  detached  the  arm  of  the  corpse,  which 
she  thrust  among  the  coals  in  the  very  place  where 
lately  she  had  cooked  the  fowl.  Then  she  went  back 
for  more. 

For  a  moment  my  brain  reeled,  and  I  gasped  for 
breath.  Then  I  rose  and  staggered  out,  I  know  not 
how.  No  one  tried  to  stop  me,  nor  did  any  one  follow 
me  ;  and,  for  my  part,  I  was  ready  to  blow  out  the  brains 
of  the  first  who  dared  to  approach  me.  In  this  way  I 
reached  the  open  air,  and  passed  by  the  hag  and  the 
four  men  as  they  were  busy  at  their  awful  work.  But 
at  this  point  I  was  observed  and  followed.  A  number 
of  men  and  women  came  after  me,  jabbering  their  un- 
couth language  and  gesticulating.  I  warned  them  off, 
angrily.  They  persisted,  and  though  none  of  them  were 
armed,  yet  I  saw  that  they  were  unwilling  to  have  me 
leave  the  cave,  and  I  supposed  that  they  would  try  to 
prevent  me  by  force. 

The  absence  of  Agnew  made  my  position  a  difficult 
one.  Had  it  not  been  for  this  I  would  have  burst 
through  them  and  fled  to  the  boat ;  but  as  long  as  he 
was  away  I  felt  bound  to  wait ;  and  though  I  longed 
to  fl}^,  I  could  not  for  his  sake.  The  boat  seemed  to  be 
a  haven  of  rest.  I  longed  to  be  in  her  once  more,  and 
drift  away,  even  if  it  should  bo  to  my  death.  Natiire 
was  here  less  terrible  than  man  ;  and  it  seemed  better 
to  drown  in  the  waters,  to  perish  amid  rocks  and  whirl- 
pools, than  to  linger  here  amid  such  horrors  as  these. 
These  people  were  not  like  human  beings.  The  vilest 
and  lowest  savages  that  I  had  ever  seen  were  not  so 
odious  as  these.    A  herd  of  monkeys  would  be  far  more 


40  A  Strange  Mamiscript 

congenial,  a  flock  of  wolves  less  abhorrent.  They  had 
the  caricature  of  the  human  form  ;  they  were  the  low- 
est of  humanity  ;  their  speech  was  a  mockery  of  lan- 
guage ;  their  faces  devilish,  their  kindness  a  cunning 
pretence  ;  and  most  hideous  of  all  was  the  nightmare 
hag  that  prepared  the  cannibal  repast. 

I  could  not  begin  hostilities,  for  I  had  to  wait  for 
Agnew  ;  so  I  stood  and  looked,  and  then  walked  away 
for  a  little  distance.  They  followed  me  closely,  with 
eager  words  and  gesticulations,  though  as  yet  no  one 
touched  me  or  threatened  me.  Their  tone  seemed  rather 
one  of  persuasion.  After  a  few  paces  I  stood  still,  with 
all  of  them  around  me.  The  horrible  repast  showed 
plainly  all  that  was  in  store  for  us.  They  received  us 
kindly  and  fed  us  well  only  to  devote  us  to  the  most 
abhorrent  of  deaths.  Agnew,  in  his  mad  confidence, 
Avas  only  insuring  his  own  doom.  He  was  putting  him- 
self completely  in  the  power  of  devils,  who  were  inca- 
pable of  pity  and  strangers  to  humanity.  To  make 
friends  with  such  fiends  was  impossible,  and  I  felt  sure 
that  our  only  plan  was  to  rule  by  terror — to  seize,  to 
slay,  to  conquer.  But  still  I  had  to  wait  for  him,  and 
did  not  dare  to  resort  to  violence  while  he  was  absent ; 
so  I  waited,  while  the  savages  gathered  round  me,  con- 
tenting themselves  with  guarding  me,  and  neither 
touching  me  nor  threatening  me.  And  all  this  time 
the  hag  went  on,  intent  on  her  preparation  of  the  hor- 
rible repast. 

While  standing  there  looking,  listening,  waiting  for 
Agnew,  I  noticed  many  things.  Far  away  the  volca- 
noes blazed,  and  the  northern  sky  was  red  with  a  lurid 
light.  There,  too,  higher  up,  the  moon  was  shining 
overhead,  the  sky  was  gleaming  with  stars  ;  and  all 
over  the  heavens  there  shone  the  lustre  of  the  aurora 
australis,  brighter  than  any  I  had  ever  seen — surpassing 


Found  in  a   Coj)pcr   Cylinder.  41 

the  moon  and  illuminating  all.  It  lighted  up  the  hag- 
gard faces  of  the  devils  around  me,  and  it  again  seemed 
to  me  as  though  I  had  died  and  gone  to  the  land  of  woe 
— an  iron  land,  a  land  of  despair,  with  lurid  fires  all 
aglow  and  faces  of  fear. 

Suddenly,  there  hurst  upon  my  ears  the  report  of  a 
gun,  which  sounded  like  a  thunder-peal,  and  echoed  in 
long  reverberations.  At  once  I  understood  it.  My 
fears  had  proved  true.  These  savages  had  enticed 
Agnew  away  to  destroy  him.  In  an  instant  I  burst 
through  the  crowd  around  me,  and  ran  wildly  in  the 
direction  of  that  sound,  calling  his  name,  as  I  ran,  at 
the  top  of  my  voice, 

I  heard  a  loud  cry  ;  then  another  report.  I  hurried 
on,  shouting  his  name  in  a  kind  of  frenzy.  The  strange 
courage  of  these  savages  had  already  impressed  me 
deeply.  They  did  not  fear  our  guns.  They  were  all 
attacking  him,  and  he  Avas  alone,  fighting  for  his  life. 

Then  there  was  another  report  ;  it  was  his  pistol.  I 
still  ran  on,  and  still  shouted  to  him. 

At  last  I  received  an  answer.  He  had  perhaps  heard 
me,  and  was  answering,  or,  at  anj-  rate,  he  was  warn- 
ing me. 

"  More,"  he  cried,  "  fly,  fly,  fly  to  the  boat !  Save 
yourself  !" 

"  Where  are  you  ?"  I  cried,  as  I  still  rushed  on. 

"  Fly,  More,  fly  !  Save  yourself  !  You  can't  save 
me.     I'm  lost.     Fly  for  your  life  !" 

Judging  from  his  cries,  he  did  not  seem  far  away.  I 
hurried  on.  I  could  see  nothing  of  him.  All  the  time 
the  savages  followed  me.  None  were  ai-med ;  but  it 
seemed  to  me  that  they  were  preparing  to  fling  them- 
selves upon  me  and  overpower  me  with  their  numbers. 
They  would  capture  me  alive,  I  thought,  bind  me,  and 
carry  me  back,  reserving  me  for  a  future  time  ! 


42  A  Strange  Manuscri2)t 

I  turned  and  waved  them  back.  They  took  no  notice 
of  my  gesture.  Then  I  ran  on  once  more.  They  fol- 
lowed. They  could  not  run  so  fast  as  I  did,  and  so  I 
gained  on  them  rapidly,  still  shouting  to  Agnew.  But 
there  was  no  response.  I  ran  backward  and  forward, 
crossing  and  recrossing,  doubling  and  turning,  pursued 
all  the  time  by  the  savages.  At  last,  in  rage  and  de- 
spair, I  fired  upon  them,  and  one  of  them  fell.  But,  to 
my  dismay,  the  others  did  not  seem  to  care  one  whit ; 
they  did  not  stop  for  one  moment,  but  pursued  as  before. 

My  situation  was  now  plain  in  all  its  truth.  They 
had  enticed  Agnew  away  ;  they  had  attacked  him.  He 
had  fought,  and  had  been  overpowered.  He  had  tried 
to  give  me  warning.  His  last  words  had  been  for  me 
to  fly — to  fly  :  yes,  for  he  well  knew  that  it  was  better 
far  for  me  to  go  to  death  through  the  raging  torrent 
than  to  meet  the  fate  which  had  fallen  upon  himself. 
For  him  there  was  now  no  more  hope.  That  he  was 
lost  was  plain.  If  he  v\'ere  still  alive  he  would  call  to 
me  ;  but  his  voice  had  been  silenced  for  some  time.  All 
Avas  over,  and  that  noble  heart  that  had  withstood  so 
bravely  and  cheerily  the  rigors  of  the  storm,  and  the 
horrors  of  our  desperate  voyage,  had  been  stilled  in 
death  by  the  vilest  of  miscreants. 

I  paused  for  a  moment.  Even  though  Agnew  was 
dead,  I  could  not  bear  to  leave  him,  but  felt  as  though 
I  ought  to  share  his  fate.  The  savages  came  nearer. 
At  their  approach  I  hesitated  no  longer.  That  fate 
was  too  terrible  :  I  must  fly. 

But  before  I  fled  I  turned  in  fury  to  wreak  vengeance 
upon  them  for  their  crimes.  Full  of  rage  and  despair, 
I  discharged  my  remaining  rifle-barrel  into  the  midst 
of  the  crowd.  Then  I  fled  towards  the  boat.  On  the 
way  I  had  a  frightful  thought  that  she  might  have  been 
sent  adrift ;  but,  on  approaching  the  place,  I  found  her 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  43 

there  just  as  I  bad  left  ber.  The  savages,  with  their 
usual  fearlessness,  still  pursued.  For  a  moment  I  stood 
on  the  shore,  with  the  grapple  in  ray  hand  and  the  boat 
close  by,  and  as  they  came  near  I  discharged  my  pistol 
into  the  midst  of  them.  Then  I  sprang  into  the  boat ; 
the  swift  current  bore  me  away,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  crowd  of  pursuing  demons  disappeared  from  view. 


44  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   TORRENT   SWEEPING   UNDER   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

The  boat  drifted  on.  The  light  given  by  the  aurora 
and  tlie  low  moon  seem  to  grow  fainter ;  and  as  I  looked 
behind  I  saw  that  the  distant  glow  from  the  volcanic 
fires  had  become  more  brilliant  in  the  increasing  dark- 
ness. The  sides  of  the  channel  grew  steeper,  until  at 
last  they  became  rocky  precipices,  rising  to  an  unknown 
height.  The  channel  itself  grew  narrower,  till  from  a 
width  of  two  miles  it  had  contracted  to  a  tenth  of  those 
dimensions;  but  with  this  lessening  width  the  waters 
seemed  to  rush  far  more  swiftly.  Here  I  drifted  help- 
lessly, and  saw  the  gloomy,  rocky  cliffs  sweep  past  me 
as  I  was  hurled  onward  on  the  breast  of  the  tremendous 
flood.  I  was  in  despair.  The  fate  of  Agnew  had  pre- 
pared me  for  my  own,  and  I  was  only  thankful  that 
my  fate,  since  it  was  inevitable,  would  be  less  appalling. 
Death  seemed  certain,  and  ray  chief  thought  now  was 
as  to  the  moment  when  it  would  come.  I  was  pre- 
pared. I  felt  that  I  could  meet  it  calmly,  sternly,  even 
thankfully;  far  better  was  a  death  here  amid  the  roar 
of  waters  than  at  the  hands  of  those  abhorrent  beings 
by  whose  treachery  my  friend  had  fallen. 

As  I  went  on,  the  precipices  rose  higher  and  seemed 
to  overhang,  the  channel  grew  narrower,  the  light  grew 
fainter,  until  at  last  all  around  me  grew  dark.  I  was 
floating  at  the  bottom  of  a  vast  chasm,  where  the  sides 
seemed  to  rise  precipitously  for  thousands  of  feet,  where 
neither  watery  flood   nor  rocky  wall  was  visible,  and 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  45 

where,  far  above,  I  could  see  the  line  of  sky  between 
the  summits  of  the  cliffs,  and  watch  the  glowing  stars. 
And  as  I  watched  them  there  came  to  mo  the  thought 
that  this  was  my  last  sight  on  earth,  and  I  could  only 
hope  that  tlie  life  which  was  so  swiftly  approaching 
its  end  might  live  again  somewhere  among  those  glit- 
tering orbs.  So  I  thought;  and  with  these  thoughts  I 
drifted  on,  I  cannot  tell  how  long,  until  at  length  there 
appeared  a  vast  black  mass,  where  the  open  sky  above  me 
terminated,  and  where  the  lustre  of  the  stars  and  the  light 
of  the  heavens  were  all  swallowed  up  in  utter  darkness. 

This,  then,  I  thought,  is  the  end.  Here,  amid  this 
darkness,  I  must  make  the  awful  plunge  and  find  my 
death.  I  fell  upon  my  knees  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
and  prayed.  As  I  knelt  there  the  boat  drew  nearer, 
the  black  mass  grew  blacker.  The  current  SM^ept  me 
on.  There  were  no  breakers ;  there  was  no  phosphor- 
escent sparkle  of  seething  waters,  and  no  whiteness  of 
foam.  I  thought  that  I  was  on  the  brink  of  some  tre- 
mendous cataract  a  thousand  times  deeper  than  Ni- 
agara; some  fall  where  the  waters  plunged  into  the 
depths  of  the  earth ;  and  where,  gathering  for  the  ter- 
rific descent,  all  other  movements  —  all  clashings  and 
writhings  and  twistings — were  obliterated  and  lost  in 
the  one  overwhelming  onward  rush.  Suddenly  all  grew 
dark — dark  beyond  all  expression  ;  the  sky  above  was  in 
a  moment  snatched  from  view;  I  had  been  flung  into 
some  tremendous  cavern;  and  there,  on  my  knees,  with 
terror  in  my  heart,  I  waited  for  death. 

The  moments  passed,  and  death  delayed  to  come. 
The  awful  plunge  was  still  put  off;  and  though  I  re- 
mained on  my  knees  and  waited  long,  still  the  end 
came  not.  The  waters  seemed  still,  the  boat  motion- 
less. It  was  borne  upon  the  surface  of  a  vast  stream 
as  smooth  as  glass;  but  who  could  tell  how  deep  that 


46  A  Strange  Manuscript 

stream  was,  or  how  wide  ?  At  length  I  rose  from  ray 
knees  and  sank  down  upon  the  seat  of  the  boat,  and 
tried  to  peer  through  the  gloom.  In  vain.  Nothing 
was  visible.  It  was  the  very  blackness  of  darkness.  I 
listened,  but  heard  nothing  save  a  deep,  dull,  droning 
sound,  which  seemed  to  fill  all  the  air  and  make  it  all 
tremulous  with  its  vibrations.  I  tried  to  collect  my 
thoughts,  I  recalled  that  old  theory  which  had  been 
in  my  mind  before  this,  and  which  I  had  mentioned  to 
Agnew.  This  was  the  notion  that  at  each  pole  there  is 
a  vast  opening;  that  into  one  of  them  all  the  waters  of 
the  ocean  pour  themselves,  and,  after  passing  through 
the  earth,  come  out  at  the  other  pole,  to  pass  about  its 
surface  in  innumerable  streams.  It  was  a  wild  fancy, 
which  I  had  laughed  at  under  other  circumstances,  but 
which  now  occurred  to  me  once  more,  when  I  was  over- 
whelmed with  despair,  and  my  mind  was  weakened  by 
the  horrors  Avhicli  I  had  experienced  ;  and  I  had  a 
vague  fear  that  I  had  been  drawn  into  the  very  channel 
through  which  the  ocean  waters  flowed  in  their  course 
to  that  terrific,  that  unparalleled  abyss.  Still,  there  was 
as  yet  no  sign  whatever  of  anything  like  a  descent,  for 
the  boat  was  on  even  keel,  and  perfectly  level  as  before, 
and  it  was  impossible  for  me  to  tell  whether  I  was  mov- 
ing swiftly  or  slowly,  or  standing  perfectly  still;  for  in 
that  darkness  there  were  no  visible  objects  by  which  I 
could  find  out  the  rate  of  my  progress;  and  as  those 
who  go  up  in  balloons  are  utterly  insensible  of  motion, 
so  was  I  on  those  calm  but  swift  waters. 

At  length  there  came  into  view  something  which 
arrested  my  attention  and  engrossed  all  my  thoughts. 
It  was  a  faint  glow  that  at  first  caught  my  gaze;  and, 
on  turning  to  see  it  better,  I  saw  a  round  red  spot  glow- 
ing like  fire.  I  had  not  seen  this  before.  It  looked 
like  the  moon  when  it  rises   from  behind  clouds,  and 


Found  in  a  Co2yper  Cylinder,  47 

glows  red  and  lurid  from  the  horizon ;  and  so  this 
glowed,  but  not  with  the  steady  light  of  the  moon,  for 
the  light  Avas  fitful,  and  sometimes  flashed  into  a  bale- 
ful brightness,  which  soon  subsided  into  a  dimmer  lustre. 
New  alarm  arose  within  me,  for  this  new  sight  suggested 
something  more  terrible  than  anything  that  I  had  thus 
far  thought  of.  This,  tlien,  I  thought,  was  to  be  the 
end  of  my  voyage;  this  was  my  goal — a  pit  of  fire,  into 
which  I  should  be  hurled !  Would  it  be  well,  I  thoufrht. 
to  wait  for  such  a  fate,  and  experience  such  a  death- 
agony  ?  Would  it  not  be  better  for  me  to  take  my  own 
life  before  I  should  know  the  worst  ?  I  took  my  pistol 
and  loaded  it,  so  as  to  be  prepared,  but  hesitated  to  use 
it  until  my  fate  should  be  more  apparent.  So  I  sat, 
holding  my  pistol,  prepared  to  use  it,  watching  the 
light,  and  awaiting  the  time  Avhen  the  glowing  fires 
should  make  all  further  hope  impossible.  But  time 
passed,  and  the  light  grew  no  brighter;  on  the  contrary, 
it  seemed  to  grow  fainter.  There  was  also  another 
change.  Instead  of  shining  before  me,  it  appeared  more 
on  my  left.  From  this  it  went  on  changing  its  position 
until  at  length  it  was  astern.  All  the  time  it  continued 
to  grov/  fainter,  and  it  seemed  certain  that  I  was  mov- 
ing away  from  it  rather  than  towards  it.  In  the  midst 
of  this  there  occurred  a  new  thought,  which  seemed  to 
account  for  this  light — this  was,  that  it  arose  from  these 
same  volcanoes  which  had  ilhiminated  the  northern  sky 
when  I  was  ashore,  and  followed  me  still  with  their 
glare.  I  had  been  carried  into  this  darkness,  through 
some  vast  opening  which  now  lay  behind  me,  disclosino- 
the  red  volcano  glow,  and  this  it  was  that  caused  that 
roundness  and  resemblance  to  the  moon.  I  saw  that  I 
was  still  moving  on  away  from  that  light  as  before,  and 
that  its  changing  position  was  due  to  the  tui-ning  of  the 
boat  as  the  water  drifted  it  along,  now  stern  foremost, 


48  A  Strange  Manuscript 

now  sidewise,  and  again  bow  foremost.  From  this  it 
seemed  plainly  evident  that  the  waters  had  borne  me 
into  some  vast  cavern  of  unknown  extent,  which  went 
under  the  mountains — a  subterranean  channel,  whose 
issue  I  could  not  conjecture.  Was  this  the  beginning 
of  that  course  which  should  ultimately  become  a  plunge 
deep  down  into  some  unutterable  abyss  ?  or  might  I  ever 
hope  to  emerge  again  into  the  light  of  day — perhaps  in 
some  other  ocean — some  land  of  ice  and  frost  and  eter- 
nal night?  But  the  old  theory  of  the  flow  of  water 
through  the  earth  had  taken  hold  of  me  and  could  not 
be  shaken  off.  I  knew  some  scientific  men  held  the 
opinion  that  the  earth's  interior  is  a  mass  of  molten  rock 
and  pent-up  fire,  and  that  the  earth  itself  had  once  been 
a  burning  orb,  which  had  cooled  dov.'n  at  the  surface; 
yet,  after  all,  this  was  only  a  theory,  and  there  were 
other  theories  which  were  totally  different.  As  a  boy  I 
had  read  wild  works  of  fiction  about  lands  in  the  interior 
of  the  earth,  with  a  sun  at  the  centre,  which  gave  them 
the  light  of  a  perpetual  day.  These,  I  knew,  were  only 
the  creations  of  fiction ;  yet,  after  all,  it  seemed  possible 
that  the  earth  might  contain  vast  hollow  spaces  in  its 
interior  —  realms  of  eternal  darkness,  caverns  in  com- 
parison with  which  the  hugest  caves  on  the  surface  were 
but  the  tiniest  cells.  I  was  now  being  borne  on  to  these. 
In  that  case  there  might  be  no  sudden  plunge,  after 
all.  The  stream  might  run  on  for  many  thousand  miles 
through  this  terrific  cavern  gloom,  in  accordance  with 
natural  laws;  and  I  might  thus  live,  and  drift  on  in  this 
darkness,  until  I  should  die  a  lingering  death  of  horror 
and  despair. 

There  was  no  possible  way  of  forming  any  estimate 
as  to  speed.  All  was  dark,  and  even  the  glow  behind 
was  fading  away  ;  nor  could  I  make  any  conjecture  what- 
ever as  to  the  size  of  the  channel.     At  the  opening  it 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  49 

had  been  contracted  and  narrow  ;  but  here  it  might  have 
expanded  itself  to  miles,  and  its  vaulted  top  might  reach 
almost  to  the  summit  of  the  lofty  mountains.  While 
sight  thus  failed  me,  sound  was  equally  unavailing,  for 
it  Avas  always  the  same — a  sustained  and  unintermittent 
roar,  a  low,  droning  sound,  deep  and  terrible,  with  no 
variations  of  dashing  breakers  or  rushing  rapids  or  fall- 
ing cataracts.  Vague  thoughts  of  final  escape  came  and 
went ;  but  in  such  a  situation  hope  could  not  be  sus- 
tained. The  thick  darkness  oppi'essed  the  soul ;  and  at 
length  even  the  glow  of  the  distant  volcanoes,  which 
had  been  gradually  diminishing,  grew  dimmer  and  faint- 
er, and  finally  faded  out  altogether.  That  seemed  to 
me  to  be  my  last  sight  of  earthly  things.  After  this 
nothing  was  left.  There  was  no  longer  for  me  such  a 
thing  as  sight ;  there  was  nothing  but  darkness — jDerpet- 
ual  and  eternal  night.  I  was  buried  in  a  cavern  of  rush- 
ing waters,  to  which  there  would  be  no  end,  whei^e  I 
should  be  borne  onward  helplessly  by  the  resistless  tide 
to  a  mysterious  and  an  appalling  doom. 

The  darkness  grew  so  intolerable  that  I  longed  for 
something  to  dispel  it,  if  only  for  a  moment.  I  struck 
a  match.  The  air  was  still,  and  the  flame  flashed  out, 
lighting  up  the  boat  and  showing  the  black  water  around 
me.  This  made  me  eager  to  see  more.  I  loaded  both 
barrels  of  the  rifle,  keeping  my  pistol  for  another  pur- 
pose, and  then  fired  one  of  them.  There  was  a  tremen- 
dous report,  that  rang  in  my  ears  like  a  hundred  thun- 
der-volleys, and  rolled  and  reverberated  far  along,  and 
died  away  in  endless  echoes.  The  flash  lighted  up  the 
scene  for  an  instant,  and  for  an  instant  only ;  like  the 
sudden  lightning,  it  revealed  all  around.  I  saw  a  wide 
expanse  of  Avater,  black  as  ink — a  Stygian  pool  ;  but  no 
rocks  were  visible,  and  it  seemed  as  though  I  had  been 
carried  into  a  subterranean  sea. 
3 


50  A  Strange  Manuscript 

I  loadccl  tbo  empty  barrel  ancT  -waited.  The  flash  of 
light  had  revealed  nothing,  yet  it  had  distracted  my 
thoughts,  and  the  work  of  reloading  Avas  an  additional 
distraction.  Anything  was  better  than  inaction.  I  did 
not  wish  to  waste  my  ammunition,  yet  I  thought  that 
an  occasional  shot  might  sen'e  some  good  purpose,  if  it 
was  only  to  afford  me  some  relief  from  despair. 

And  now,  as  I  sat  with  the  rifle  in  my  hands,  I  was 
aware  of  a  sound  —  new,  exciting,  different  altogether 
from  the  murmur  of  innumerable  waters  that  filled  my 
ears,  and  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  droning  echoes  of 
the  rushing  flood.  It  was  a  sound  that  spoke  of  life.  I 
heard  quick,  heavy  pantings,  as  of  some  great  living 
thing  ;  and  with  this  there  came  the  noise  of  regular 
movements  in  the  water,  and  the  foaming  and  gurgling 
of  waves.  It  was  as  though  some  living,  breathing 
creature  were  here,  not  far  away,  moving  through  these 
midnight  waters  ;  and  with  this  discovery  there  came  a 
new  fear — the  fear  of  pursuit.  I  thought  that  some  sea- 
monster  had  scented  me  in  my  boat,  and  had  started  to 
attack  me.  This  new  fear  aroused  me  to  action.  It 
was  a  danger  quite  unlike  any  other  which  I  had  ever 
known  ;  yet  the  fear  which  it  inspired  M'as  a  feeling 
that  roused  me  to  action,  and  prompted  me,  even  though 
the  coming  danger  might  be  as  sure  as  death,  to  rise 
against  it  and  resist  to  the  last.  So  I  stood  up  with  my 
rifle  and  listened,  with  all  my  soul  in  my  sense  of  hear- 
ing. The  sounds  arose  more  plainly.  They  had  come 
nearer.  They  M^ere  immediately  in  front.  I  raised  my 
rifle  and  took  aim.  Then  in  quick  succession  two  reports 
thundered  out  with  tremendous  uproar  and  interminable 
echoes,  but  the  long  reverberations  were  unheeded  in 
the  blaze  of  sudden  light  and  the  vision  that  was  re- 
vealed. For  there  full  before  me  I  saw,  thougli  but  for 
an  instant,  a  tremendous  sicrht.     It  was  a  vast  monster. 


Found  in  a  Copi^er  Cylinder.  51 

moving  in  the  waters  against  the  stream  and  towards 
the  boat.  Its  head  was  raised  high,  its  eyes  were  in- 
flamed with  a  baleful  light,  its  jaws,  opened  wide,  bris- 
tled with  sharp  teeth,  and  it  had  a  long  neck  joined  to 
a  body  of  enormous  bulk,  with  a  tail  that  lashed  all  the 
water  into  foam.  It  was  but  for  an  instant  that  I  saw 
it,  and  then  with  a  sudden  plunge  the  monster  dived, 
while  at  the  same  moment  all  was  as  dark  as  before. 

Full  of  terror  and  excitement,  I  loaded  my  rifle  again 
and  waited,  listening  for  a  renewal  of  the  noise.  I  felt 
sure  that  the  monster,  balked  of  his  prey,  would  return 
with  redoubled  fury,  and  that  I  should  have  to  renew 
the  conflict.  I  felt  that  the  dangers  of  the  subterranean 
passage  and  of  the  rushing  waters  had  passed  away,  and 
that  a  new  peril  had  arisen  from  the  assault  of  this  mon- 
ster of  the  deep.  Nor  was  it  this  one  alone  that  was  to 
be  dreaded.  Where  one  was,  others  were  sure  to  be  ; 
and  if  this  one  should  pass  me  by  it  would  only  leave 
me  to  be  assailed  by  monsters  of  the  same  kind,  and 
these  would  probably  increase  in  number  as  I  advanced 
farther  into  this  realm  of  darkness.  And  yet,  in  spite 
of  these  grisly  thoughts,  I  felt  less  of  horror  than  be- 
fore, for  the  fear  which  I  had  was  now  associated  with 
action  ;  and  as  I  stood  waiting  for  the  onset  and  listen- 
ing for  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  the  excitement  that 
ensued  was  a  positive  relief  from  the  dull  despair  into 
which  I  had  sunk  but  a  moment  before. 

Yet,  though  I  waited  for  a  new  attack,  I  waited  in 
vain.  The  monster  did  not  come  back.  Either  the  flash 
and  the  noise  had  terrified  him,  or  the  bullets  had  hit 
him,  or  else  in  his  vastness  he  had  been  indifferent  to 
so  feeble  a  creature  as  myself;  but  whatever  may  have 
been  the  cause,  he  did  not  emerge  again  out  of  the  dark- 
ness and  silencG  into  which  he  had  sunk.  For  a  long 
time  I  stood  waiting  ;  then  I  sat  down,  still  watchful. 


52  A  Strange  Manuscript 

still  listening,  but  without  any  result,  until  at  length  I 
began  to  think  that  there  was  no  chance  of  any  new 
attack.  Indeed,  it  seemed  now  as  though  there  had 
been  no  attack  at  all,  but  that  the  monster  had  been 
swimming  at  random  without  any  thought  of  me,  in 
which  case  my  rifle-flashes  had  terrified  liim  more  than 
his  fearful  form  had  terrified  me.  On  the  whole  this 
incident  had  greatly  benefited  me.  It  had  roused  me 
from  my  despair.  I  grew  reckless,  and  felt  a  disposition 
to  acquiesce  in  whatever  fate  might  have  in  store  for 
me. 

And  now,  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  exhausted  from 
long  watchfulness  and  anxiety,  I  sank  down  in  the  bot- 
tom of  the  boat  and  fell  into  a  deep  sleep. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  53 


CHAPTER  VI. 

T  n  E    NEW    W  O  R  L  D. 

How  long  I  slept  I  do  not  know.  My  sleep  was  pro- 
found, yet  disturbed  by  troubled  dreams,  in  which  I 
lived  over  again  all  the  eventful  scenes  of  the  past ; 
and  these  were  all  intermingled  in  the  wildest  confusion. 
The  cannibals  beckoned  to  us  from  the  peak,  and  we 
landed  between  the  two  volcanoes.  There  the  body  of 
the  dead  sailor  received  us,  and  afterwards  chased  us 
to  the  boat.  Then  came  snow  and  volcanic  eruptions, 
and  we  drifted  amid  icebergs  and  molten  lava  until 
we  entered  an  iron  portal  and  plunged  into  darkness. 
Here  there  were  vast  swimming  monsters  and  burn- 
ing orbs  of  fire  and  thunderous  cataracts  falling  from 
inconceivable  heights,  and  the  sweep  of  immeasurable 
tides  and  the  circling  of  infinite  whirlpools ;  while  in 
my  ears  there  rang  the  never-ending  roar  of  remorseless 
waters  that  came  after  us,  with  all  their  waves  and  bil- 
lows rolling  upon  us.  It  was  a  dream  in  which  all  the 
material  terrors  of  the  past  were  renewed  ;  but  these 
were  all  as  nothing  wlien  compared  with  a  certain  deep 
underlying  feeling  that  possessed  my  soul — a  sense  of 
loss  irretrievable,  an  expectation  of  impending  doom,  a 
drear  and  immitigable  despair. 

In  the  midst  of  this  I  awoke.  It  was  with  a  sudden 
start,  and  I  looked  all  around  in  speechless  bewilderment. 
The  first  thing  of  which  I  was  conscious  was  a  great 
blaze  of  light — light  so  lately  lost,  and  supposed  to  be 
lost  forever,  but  now  filling  all  the  universe — bright,brill- 


54  A  Strange  MamtscrijJt 

iant,  glowing,  bringing  hope  and  joy  and  gladness,  with 
all  the  splendor  of  deep  blue  skies  and  the  multitudinous 
laughter  of  ocean  waves  that  danced  and  sparkled  in  the 
sun,  I  flung  up  my  arms  and  laughed  aloud.  Then  I 
burst  into  tears,  and,  falling  on  ray  knees,  I  thanked  the 
Almighty  Ruler  of  the  skies  for  this  marvellous  deliver- 
ance. 

Rising  from  my  knees,  I  looked  around,  and  once  more 
amazement  overwhelmed  me.  I  saw  a  long  line  of 
mountains  towering  up  to  immeasurable  heights,  their 
summits  covered  with  eternal  ice  and  snow.  There  the 
sun  blazed  low  in  the  sky,  elevated  but  a  few  degrees 
above  the  mountain  crests,  which  gleamed  in  gold  and 
purple  under  its  fiery  rays.  The  sun  seemed  enlarged 
to  unusual  dimensions,  and  the  mountains  ran  away  on 
every  side  like  the  segment  of  some  infinite  circle.  At 
the  base  of  the  mountains  lay  a  land  all  green  Avith  veg- 
etation, where  cultivated  fields  were  visible,  and  vine- 
yards and  orchards  and  groves,  together  with  forests  of 
palm  and  all  manner  of  trees  of  every  variety  of  hue, 
which  van  up  the  sides  of  the  mountains  till  they  reached 
the  limits  of  vegetation  and  the  regions  of  snow  and  ice. 

Here  in  all  directions  there  were  unmistakable  signs 
of  human  life — the  outlines  of  populous  cities  and  busy 
towns  and  hamlets  ;  roads  winding  far  away  along  the 
plain  or  up  the  mountain-sides,  and  mighty  works  of  in- 
dustry in  the  shape  of  massive  structures,  terraced  slopes, 
long  rows  of  arches,  ponderous  pyramids,  and  battle- 
mented  walls. 

From  the  land  I  turned  to  the  sea.  I  saw  before  me 
an  expanse  of  water  intensely  blue — an  extent  so  vast 
that  never  before  in  all  my  ocean  voyages  had  anything 
appeared  at  all  comparable  with  it.  Out  at  sea,  where- 
ever  I  had  been,  the  water  had  always  limited  the  view  ; 
the  horizon  had  never  seemed  far  away  ;  ships  soon  sank 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  55 

below  it,  and  the  visible  surface  of  the  earth  was  tlius 
always  contracted  ;  but  here,  to  ray  bewilderment,  the 
horizon  appeared  to  be  removed  to  an  immeasurable 
distance  and  raised  higli  in  the  air,  while  the  waters  were 
prolonged  endlessly.  Starting  from  where  I  was,  they 
went  away  to  inconceivable  distances,  and  the  view  be- 
fore me  seemed  like  a  watery  declivity  reaching  for  a 
thousand  miles,  till  it  approached  the  horizon  far  up  in 
the  sky.  Nor  was  it  any  delusion  of  the  senses  that 
caused  this  unparalleled  spectacle.  I  was  familiar  with 
the  phenomena  of  the  mirage,  and  knew  well  that  there 
was  nothing  of  that  kind  here  ;  for  the  mirage  always 
shows  great  surfaces  of  stillness,  or  a  regular  vibration 
— glassy  tides  and  indistinct  distances  ;  but  here  every- 
thing was  sharply  defined  in  the  clear  atmosphere  :  the 
sky  overhung  a  deep  blue  vault ;  the  waves  danced  and 
sparkled  in  the  sun  ;  the  waters  rolled  and  foamed  on 
every  side  ;  and  the  fresh  breeze,  as  it  blew  over  the 
ocean,  brought  with  it  such  exhilarating  influences  that 
it  acted  upon  me  like  some  reviving  cordial. 

From  the  works  of  nature  I  turned  to  those  of  man. 
These  were  visible  everywhere  :  on  the  land,  in  cities 
and  cultivated  fields  and  mighty  constructions  ;  on  the 
sea,  in  floating  craft,  which  appeared  wherever  I  turned 
my  eyes — boats  like  those  of  fishermen,  ships  long  and 
low,  some  like  galleys,  propelled  by  a  hundred  oars, 
others  provided  with  one  huge  square-sail,  which  en- 
abled them  to  run  before  the  wind.  They  were  unlike 
any  ships  which  I  had  ever  seen ;  for  neither  in  the 
Mediterranean  nor  in  Chinese  waters  were  there  any 
craft  like  these,  and  they  reminded  me  rather  of  those 
ancient  galleys  which  I  had  seen  in  pictures. 

I  was  lost  in  wonder  as  to  where  I  was,  and  what 
land  this  could  be  to  which  I  had  been  brought.  I  had 
not  plunged  into  the  interior  of  the  earth,  but  I  had 


56  A  Strange  Manuscript 

been  carried  under  the  mountains,  and  had  emerged 
again  into  the  glad  light  of  the  sun.  Could  it  be  possi- 
ble, I  thought,  that  Agnew's  hope  had  been  realized,  and 
that  I  had  been  carried  into  the  warm  regions  of  the 
South  Pacific  Ocean  ?  Yet  in  the  South  Pacific  there 
could  be  no  place  like  this — no  immeasurable  expanse 
of  waters,  no  horizon  raised  mountain  high.  It  seemed 
like  a  vast  basin-shaped  world,  for  all  around  me  the 
surface  appeared  to  rise,  and  I  was  in  what  looked  like 
a  depression  ;  yet  I  knew  that  the  basin  and  the  depres- 
sion were  an  illusion,  and  that  this  appearance  was  due  to 
the  immense  extent  of  level  surface  Avith  the  environment 
of  lofty  mountains.  I  had  crossed  the  antarctic  circle ; 
I  had  been  borne  onward  for  an  immense  distance.  Over 
all  the  known  surface  of  the  earth  no  one  had  ever  seen 
anything  like  this  ;  there  were  but  two  places  where 
such  an  immeasurable  plain  was  possible,  and  those  were 
at  the  flattened  poles.  Where  I  was  I  now  knew  well. 
I  had  reached  the  antarctic  pole.  Here  the  earth  was 
flat — an  immense  level  with  no  roundness  to  lessen  the 
reach  of  the  horizon,  but  an  almost  even  surface  that 
gave  an  unimpeded  view  for  hundreds  of  miles. 

The  subterranean  channel  had  rushed  through  the 
mountains  and  had  carried  me  here.  Here  came  all  the 
waters  of  the  Northern  ocean  pouring  into  this  vast  po- 
lar sea,  perhaps  to  issue  forth  from  it  by  some  similar 
passage.  Here,  then,  was  the  South  Pole — a  world  by 
itself  :  and  how  different  from  that  terrible,  that  iron 
land  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains  ! — not  a  world 
of  ice  and  frost,  but  one  of  beauty  and  light,  with  a  cli- 
mate that  was  almost  tropical  in  its  warmth,  and  lands 
that  were  covered  with  the  rank  luxuriance  of  a  teeming 
vegetable  life.  I  had  passed  from  that  outer  M'orld  to 
this  inner  one,  and  the  passage  was  from  death  unto  life, 
from  agony  and  despair  to  sunlight  and  splendor  and  joy. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  57 

Above  all,  in  all  around  me  that  which  most  impressed 
me  now  was  the  rich  and  superabundant  life,  and  a 
warmth  of  air  which  made  me  think  of  India.  It  was 
an  amazing  and  an  unaccountable  thing,  and  I  could 
only  attribute  it  to  the  flattening  of  the  poles,  which 
brought  the  surface  nearer  to  the  supposed  central  fires 
of  the  earth,  and  therefore  created  a  heat  as  groat  as  that 
of  the  equatorial  regions.  Here  I  found  a  tropical  cli- 
mate— a  land  warmed  not  by  the  sun,  but  from  the  earth 
itself.  Or  another  cause  might  be  found  in  the  warm 
ocean  currents.  Whatever  the  true  one  might  be,  I 
was  utterly  unable  to  form  a  conjecture. 

But  I  had  no  time  for  such  speculations  as  these.  Af- 
ter the  first  emotions  of  wonder  and  admiration  had 
somewhat  subsided,  I  began  to  experience  other  sensa- 
tions. I  began  to  remember  that  I  had  eaten  nothing 
for  a  length  of  time  that  I  had  no  means  of  calculating, 
and  to  look  around  to  see  if  there  was  any  way  of  satis- 
fying my  hunger.  The  question  arose  now,  AVhat  was 
to  be  done  ?  After  my  recent  terrible  experience  I  nat- 
urally shrank  from  again  committing  myself  to  the  ten- 
der mercies  of  strange  tribes  ;  yet  further  thought  and 
examination  showed  me  that  the  people  of  this  strange 
land  must  be  very  different  from  those  frightful  savages 
on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains.  Everywhere  I  be- 
held the  manifest  signs  of  cultivation  and  civilization. 
Still,  I  knew  that  even  civilized  people  would  not  neces- 
sarily be  any  kinder  than  savages,  and  that  I  might  be 
seized  and  flung  into  hopeless  imprisonment  or  slavery. 

So  I  hesitated,  yet  what  could  I  do  ?  My  hunger  was 
beginning  to  be  insupportable.  I  had  reached  a  place 
where  I  had  to  choose  between  starvation  on  the  one 
hand,  or  a  venture  among  these  people  on  the  other.  To 
go  back  was  impossible.  Who  could  breast  those  waters 
in  the  tremendous  subterranean  channel,  or  force  his 
3* 


58  A  Strange  Manuscript 

way  back  tbrougli  such  appalling  dangers  ?  Or,  if  that 
were  possible,  who  could  ever  hope  to  breast  those  mighty 
currents  beyond,  or  work  his  way  amid  everlasting  ice 
and  immeasurable  seas  ?  No  ;  return  was  impossible. 
I  had  been  flung  into  this  world  of  wonders,  and  here 
would  be  my  home  for  the  remainder  of  my  days  ; 
though  I  could  not  now  imagine  whether  those  days 
would  be  passed  in  peace  or  in  bitter  slavery  and  sorrow. 
Yet  the  decision  must  be  made  and  the  risk  must  be  run. 
It  must  be  so.  I  must  land  here,  venture  among  these 
people,  and  trust  in  that  Providence  which  had  hitherto 
sustained  me. 

Having  thus  resolved  at  all  hazards  to  try  my  fate,  I 
rowed  in  towards  the  shore.  Thus  far  I  had  seen  gal- 
leys passing  and  small  boats,  but  they  had  taken  no  no- 
tice of  me,  for  the  reason  that  they  were  too  far  away  to 
perceive  anything  about  me  that  differed  from  any  other 
boat;  but  now,  as  I  rowed,  I  noticed  a  galley  coming 
down  towards  me.  She  seemed  to  be  going  in  towards 
the  shore  at  tlie  very  point  at  which  I  was  aiming,  and 
her  course  and  mine  must  soon  meet  if  I  continued  to 
row.  After  some  hesitation  I  concluded  to  make  sig- 
nals to  her,  so  as  to  attract  attention;  for,  now  that  I 
had  resolved  to  venture  among  the  people  here,  I  was 
anxious  to  end  my  suspense  as  soon  as  possible.  So  I 
continued  rowing,  and  gradually  drew  nearer.  The 
galley  was  propelled  by  oars,  of  which  there  were  fifty 
on  either  side.  The  stern  was  raised,  and  covered  in 
like  a  cabin.  At  length  I  ceased  rowing,  and  sat  watch- 
in  f^  her.  I  soon  saw  that  I  was  noticed,  but  this  did  not 
occur  till  the  galley  was  close  by  me — so  close,  indeed, 
that  I  thought  they  would  pass  without  perceiving  me. 
I  raised  my  hands,  waved  them,  and  gave  a  cry.  The 
galley  at  once  stopped,  a  boat  was  lowered,  and  some 
men  descended  and  rowed  towards  me. 


Found  in  a  Copj)cr  Cylinder.  59 

They  were  men  of  strange  appearance — very  small  in 
stature  and  slender  in  frame.  Their  hair  was  black 
and  straight,  their  features  were  quite  regular,  and  their 
general  expression  was  one  of  great  gentleness.  I  was 
surprised  to  notice  that  they  kept  their  eyes  almost 
closed,  as  though  they  Avere  weak  and  troubled  by  the 
glare  of  the  sun.  With  their  half-closed  eyes  they 
blinked  at  me,  and  then  one  who  appeared  to  be  their 
chief  spoke  to  me.  I  understood  not  a  word;  and  then 
I  answered  him  in  English,  which,  of  course,  was  equally 
unintelligible  to  him.  I  then  made  signs,  pointing  to  the 
mountains  and  endeavoring  to  make  known  to  him  that 
I  had  come  from  beyond  them — that  I  had  suffered  ship- 
wreck, that  I  had  drifted  here,  and  that  I  needed  assist- 
ance. Of  all  this  it  was  quite  evident  that  they  under- 
stood nothing  except  the  fact  that  I  needed  help.  The 
moment  that  they  comprehended  this  they  took  me  in 
tow  and  rowed  back  to  the  galley. 

I  found  the  galley  to  be  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  in  length.  For  about  two  thirds  of  this  length  for- 
ward it  was  open  and  filled  with  seats,  where  there  were 
about  a  hundred  rowers,  who  all  looked  like  those  that  I 
had  first  seen,  all  being  of  small  stature,  slender  frames, 
and,  moreovei',  all  being  apparently  distressed  by  the  sun- 
light. There  was  in  all  of  them  the  same  mild  and  gen- 
tle expression.  In  complexion  and  general  outline  of 
features  they  were  not  unlike  Arabs,  but  they  were  en- 
tirely destitute  of  that  hardness  and  austerity  which  the 
latter  have.  They  all  had  beards,  which  were  dressed 
in  a  peculiar  way  in  plaits.  Their  costume  varied.  The 
rowers  wore  a  coarse  tunic,  Avith  a  girdle  of  rope.  The 
ofiicers  wore  tunics  of  fine  cloth  and  very  elegant  man- 
tles, richly  embroidered,  and  with  borders  of  doAvn. 
They  all  wore  broad-brimmed  hats,  and  the  one  who 
seemed  to  be  chief  had  on  his  some  golden  ornaments. 


60  A  Strange  Manuscript 

Here  once  more  I  tried  to  explain  to  them  wlio  I  was. 
They  looked  at  me,  examining  nic  all  over,  inspecting  my 
gun,  pistol,  coat,  trousers,  boots,  and  hat,  and  talking  all 
the  time  among  themselves.  They  did  not  touch  me, 
but  merely  showed  the  natural  curiosity  which  is  felt  at 
the  sight  of  a  foreigner  who  has  ai)pcared  unexpectedly. 
There  was  a  scrupulous  delicacy  and  a  careful  and  even 
ceremonious  politeness  in  their  attitude  towards  me  which 
was  at  once  amazing  and  delightful.  All  fear  and  anx- 
iety had  now  left  me;  in  the  gentle  manners  and  amia- 
ble faces  of  these  people  I  saw  enough  to  assure  me  of 
kind  treatment ;  and  in  my  deep  joy  and  gratitude  for 
this  even  my  hunger  was  for  a  time  forgotten. 

At  length  the  chief  motioned  to  me  to  follow  him.  He 
led  the  way  to  the  cabin,  where,  opening  the  door,  he 
entered,  and  I  followed,  after  which  the  others  came 
in  also,  and  then  the  door  was  shut.  At  first  I  could 
see  nothing.  There  Avere  no  windows  whatever,  and 
only  one  or  two  slight  crevices  through  which  the 
light  came.  After  a  time  my  eyes  grew  more  accus- 
tomed to  the  darkness,  and  I  could  see  that  the  cabin 
was  a  spacious  apartment,  adorned  with  rich  hangings 
of  some  unknown  material.  There  was  a  large  table 
and  seats.  Taking  me  by  the  hand,  the  chief  led  me  to 
this,  where  I  seated  myself,  while  the  others  remained 
standing.  Then  some  of  them  went  away,  and  soon  re- 
turned with  food  and  drink.  The  food  was  of  different 
kinds — some  tasting  like  goose,  others  like  turkey,  oth- 
ers like  partridge.  It  was  all  the  flesh  of  fowls,  though, 
judging  from  the  slices  before  me,  they  must  have  been 
of  great  size.  I  wondered  much  at  the  behavior  of 
the  officers  of  the  ship,  who  all,  and  the  chief  himself 
more  than  all,  stood  and  waited  upon  me;  but  it  was  a 
new  world,  and  I  supposed  that  this  must  be  the  fash- 
ion; so  I  made  no  objections,  but  accepted  the  situation 
and  ate  with  a  thankful  heart. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  61 

As  the  first  keenness  of  my  appetite  was  satisfied  I 
had  more  leisure  to  make  observations.  I  noticed  tliat 
the  eyes  of  my  new  friends  no  longer  blinked  ;  they 
were  wide  open;  and,  so  far  as  I  could  make  them  out, 
their  faces  were  much  improved.  Weakness  of  eyes 
seemed  common  among  these  people,  and  therefore  the 
oificers  had  their  cabin  darkened,  Avhile  the  unfortunate 
rowers  had  to  labor  in  the  blazing  sun.  Such  was  my 
conclusion,  and  the  fact  reminded  me  of  the  miserable 
fellahin  of  Egypt,  who  have  ophthalmia  from  the  blaz- 
ino:  sun  and  burninfj  sand. 

After  the  repast  they  brought  me  water  in  a  basin, 
and  all  stood  around  me.  One  held  the  basin,  another 
a  towel,  another  a  flask,  another  took  a  sponge  and  pro- 
ceeded to  Avash  my  face  and  hands.  This  was  all  strange 
to  me,  yet  there  was  nothing  left  for  me  but  submission. 
Then  the  chief,  who  had  stood  looking  on  with  a  smile 
on  his  face,  took  off  his  rich  furred  mantle  and  handed 
it  to  me.  I  was  half  inclined  to  refuse  it,  but  was  afraid 
of  giving  offence,  so  I  accepted  it,  and  he  himself  fas- 
tened it  around  my  shoulders.  The  others  seemed  actu- 
ally to  envy  the  chief,  as  though  he  had  gained  some 
uncommon  good-fortune.  Then  they  offered  me  vari- 
ous drinks,  of  which  I  tasted  several  kinds.  Some  were 
sweet  waters  of  different  flavors,  others  tasted  like  mild 
wine,  one  was  a  fermented  drink,  light,  sweet,  and  very 
agreeable  to  the  palate.  I  now  wished  to  show  my  gen- 
erous entertainers  that  I  was  grateful;  so  I  raised  my 
cup,  bowed  to  all  of  them,  particularly  the  chief,  and 
drank  their  health.  They  all  watched  this  ceremony 
with  very  sober  faces,  and  I  could  not  quite  make  out 
whether  they  took  my  meaning  or  not.  They  certainly 
did  not  look  pleased,  and  it  seemed  to  me  as  though 
they  felt  hurt  at  any  expression  of  gratitude,  so  I  con- 
cluded for  the  future  to  abstain  from  all  such  demon- 


G2  A  Strange  Manuscript 

strations.  Yet  with  every  moment  the  manners  of  these 
people  grew  more  bewildering.  It  was  strange,  indeed, 
for  me  to  find  myself  so  suddenly  the  centre  of  interest 
and  of  generous  intentions.  For  a  moment  the  thought 
occurred  to  me  that  they  regarded  me  as  some  wonder- 
ful being  with  superior  powers,  and  Avere  trying  to  pro- 
pitiate me  by  these  services;  yet  I  soon  saw  that  these 
services  were  not  at  all  acts  of  propitiation;  they  looked 
rather  like  those  loving  and  profuse  attentions  which  a 
family  showers  down  upon  some  dear  one  long  absent 
and  at  last  returned,  and  with  this  my  wonder  grew 
greater  than  ever. 

The  galley  had  long  since  resumed  her  progress.  I 
heard  the  steady  beat  of  the  oars  as  they  all  moved  in 
time,  and  at  length  the  motion  ceased.  The  chief  then 
signed  to  me  and  went  out.  I  followed,  and  the  rest 
came  after.  And  now,  as  I  emerged  from  the  gloom  of 
the  cabin,  I  found  myself  once  more  in  the  glorious 
light  of  day,  and  saw  that  Ave  had  reached  the  land. 
The  galley  was  hauled  up  alongside  a  stone  qua}',  and 
on  the  shore  there  were  buildings  and  walls  and  trees 
and  people.  The  chief  went  ashore  at  once,  and  I  accom- 
panied him.  AVe  Avalked  for  some  distance  along  a  road 
with  stone  Avails  on  either  side,  from  behind  Avhich  there 
arose  trees  that  from  a  distance  had  looked  like  palms. 
I  now  found  them  to  be  giant  ferns,  arching  OA'erhead 
Avith  their  broad  fanlike  leaves  and  branches  in  dense 
masses,  making  the  roadway  quite  dark  in  the  shadoAA'. 
Astonished  as  I  Avas  at  the  sight  of  these  trees,  I  soon 
forgot  them  in  a  still  more  astonishing  sight,  for  after 
going  onward  about  a  hundred  paces  I  stopped,  and 
found  myself  in  a  wide  space  where  four  cross-roads 
met.  Here  there  were  three  birds  of  gigantic  stature. 
They  had  vast  bodies,  short  legs,  short  necks,  and  seemed 
as  large  as  an  ordinary-sized  ox.  Their  wings  were  short, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  63 

and  evidently  could  not  bo  used  for  flight;  their  beaks 
were  like  that  of  a  sea-gull;  each  one  had  a  man  on  his 
back,  and  was  harnessed  to  a  car.  The  chief  motioned 
to  me  to  enter  one  of  these  cars.  I  did  so.  He  followed, 
and  thereupon  the  driver  started  the  bird,  which  set 
forth  with  long,  rapid  strides,  at  a  pace  as  fast  as  that 
of  a  trotting  horse.  So  astonished  was  I  that  for  some 
time  I  did  not  notice  anything  else;  but  at  length,  when 
my  first  feeling  had  subsided,  I  began  to  regard  other 
objects.  All  the  way  the  dense  fern  foliage  arched 
overhead,  throwing  down  deep  shadows.  They  grew 
on  either  side  in  dense  rows,  but  between  their  stalks  I 
could  see  the  country  beyond,  which  lay  all  bright  in 
the  sunlight.  Here  were  broad  fields,  all  green  with 
verdure ;  farther  away  arose  clumps  of  tree-ferns ;  at 
every  step  of  the  way  new  vistas  opened ;  amid  the 
verdure  and  the  foliage  were  the  roofs  of  structures 
that  looked  like  pavilions,  and  more  massive  edifices 
with  pyramidal  roofs.  Our  road  constantly  ascended, 
and  at  length  we  came  to  a  crossing.  This  was  a  wide 
terrace  at  the  slope  of  the  mountain;  on  the  lower  side 
was  a  row  of  massive  stone  edifices  with  pyramidal  roofs, 
while  on  the  upper  there  were  portals  which  seemed  to 
open  into  excavated  caverns.  Here,  too,  on  either  side 
arose  the  giant  ferns,  overarching  and  darkening  the 
tei-race  with  their  deep  shadow.  From  this  point  I 
looked  back,  and  through  the  trunks  of  the  tree-ferns  I 
could  see  fields  and  pavilions  and  the  pyramidal  roofs 
of  massive  edifices,  and  broad,  verdant  slopes,  while  in 
the  distance  there  were  peeps*  of  the  boundless  sea.  We 
continued  on  our  way  Avithout  stopping,  and  passed  sev- 
eral successive  terraces  like  the  first,  with  the  same  cav- 
erns on  the  upper  side  and  massive  edifices  on  the  lower, 
until  at  last  the  ascent  ended  at  the  fifth  terrace,  and 
here  we  turned  to  the  left.     Now  the  view  became  more 


64  A  Strange  Manuscript 

varied.  The  tree-ferns  arose  on  either  side,  arching 
overhead;  on  my  right  were  the  portals  that  opened 
into  caverns,  on  my  left  solid  and  massive  houses,  built 
of  great  blocks  of  stone,  with  pyramidal  roofs.  As  far 
as  I  could  judge,  I  was  in  a  city  built  on  the  slope  of  a 
mountain,  with  its  streets  formed  thus  of  successive  ter- 
races and  their  connecting  cross-ways,  one  half  its  hab- 
itations consisting  of  caverns,  while  the  other  half  were 
pavilions  and  massive  stone  structures.  Few  people, 
however,  were  to  be  seen.  Occasionally  I  saw  one  or 
two  groping  along  with  their  eyes  half  shut,  seeking  the 
darkest  shadows;  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  this  extraor- 
dinary race  of  men  had  some  natural  and  universal  pecu- 
liarity of  eyesight  which  made  them  shun  the  sunlight, 
and  seek  the  darkness  of  caves  and  of  dense,  overshad- 
owing foliage. 

At  length  we  came  to  a  place  where  the  terrace  ran 
back  till  it  formed  a  semicircle  against  the  mountain 
slope,  w^hen  several  vast  portals  appeared.  Here  there 
was  a  large  space,  Avhere  the  tree-ferns  grew  in  long 
lines  crossing  each  other,  and  making  a  denser  shade 
than  usual.  On  the  lower  side  were  several  stone  edi- 
fices of  immense  size ;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  place 
there  arose  a  singular  structure,  shaped  like  a  half  pyra- 
mid, with  three  sides  sloping,  and  the  fourth  perpendicu- 
lar, flat  on  the  top,  which  was  approached  by  a  flight  of 
steps.  We  now  went  on  until  we  reached  the  central 
portal  of  the  range  of  caverns,  and  here  we  stopped. 
The  chief  got  out  and  beckoned  to  me.  I  followed. 
He  then  led  the  way  into  the  cavern,  while  I,  full  of 
wonder,  walked  behind  him. 


Found  in  a  Copper  (Jy Under.  65 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SCIENTIFIC   THEOKIES   AND    SCEPTICISif. 

Tuus  far  Melick  had  been  reading  the  manuscript, 
but  at  this  point  he  was  interrupted  by  the  announce- 
ment that  dinner  was  ready.  Upon  this  he  stopped 
abrujitly;  for  on  board  the  Falcon  dinner  was  the  great 
event  of  the  day,  and  in  its  presence  even  the  manu- 
script had  to  be  laid  aside.  Before  long  they  were  all 
seated  around  the  dining-table  in  the  sumptuous  cabin, 
prepared  to  discuss  the  repast  which  had  been  served 
up  by  the  genius  of  the  French  chef  whom  Lord  Feath- 
erstone  had  brought  with  him. 

Let  us  pause  here  for  a  moment  to  take  a  minuter 
survey  of  these  four  friends.  In  the  first  place,  there 
was  Lord  Featherstone  himself,  young,  handsome,  lan- 
guid, good-natured  to  a  fault,  with  plenty  of  muscle  if 
he  chose  to  exert  it,  and  plenty  of  brain  if  he  chose 
to  make  use  of  it  —  a  man  who  had  become  weary 
of  the  monotony  of  high  life,  and,  like  many  of  his 
order,  was  fond  of  seeking  relief  from  the  enrad  of 
prosperity  amid  the  excitements  of  the  sea.  Next  to 
him  was  Dr.  Congrcve,  a  middle-aged  man,  with  iron- 
gray  hair,  short  beard  and  mustache,  short  nose,  gray 
eyes,  with  spectacles,  and  stoutish  body.  Next  came 
Noel  Oxenden,  late  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge,  a 
college  friend  of  Featherstone's — a  tall  man,  with  a  re- 
fined and  intellectual  face  and  reserved  manner.  Fi- 
nally, there  was  Otto  Melick,  a  litterateur  from  London, 
about  thirty  years  of  age,  with  a  wiry  and  muscular 


G6  A  Strange  Manuscript 

frame,  and  llie  restless  manner  of  one  avIio  lives  in  a 
perpetual  fidget. 

For  some  time  notliing  was  said  ;  they  partook  of 
the  repast  in  silence  ;  but  at  length  it  became  evident 
that  they  were  thinking  of  the  mysterious  manuscript. 
Featherstone  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"A  deuced  queer  sort  of  thing  this,  too,"  said  he, 
"this  manuscript.  I  can't  quite  make  it  out.  Who 
ever  dreamed  of  people  living  at  the  South  Pole — and 
in  a  warm  climate,  too?  Then  it  seems  deuced  odd, 
too,  that  we  should  pick  up  this  copper  cylinder  with 
the  manuscript.  I  hardly  know  what  to  think  about 
it." 

Melick  smiled.  "  Why,  it  isn't  much  to  see  through," 
said  he. 

"  See  through  what  ?"  said  the  doctor,  hastily,  prick- 
ing up  his  ears  at  this,  and  peering  keenly  at  Melick 
through  his  spectacles. 

"  Why,  the  manuscript,  of  course." 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  what  is  it  that  you  see  ? 
What  do  you  make  out  of  it  ?" 

"Why,  any  one  can  see,"  said  Melick,  "that  it's  a 
transparent  hoax,  that's  all.  You  don't  mean  to  say,  I 
hope,  that  you  really  regard  it  in  any  other  light  ?" 

"  A  transparent  hoax  !"  repeated  the  doctor.  "  Will 
you  please  state  why  you  regard  it  in  that  light  ?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  Melick.  "  Some  fellow  wanted  to 
get  up  a  sensation  novel  and  introduce  it  to  the  world 
with  a  great  flourish  of  trumpets,  and  so  he  has  taken 
this  way  of  going  about  it.  You  see,  he  has  counted  on 
its  being  picked  up,  and  perhaps  published.  After  this 
he  would  come  forward  and  own  the  authorship." 

"And  what  good  would  that  do?"  asked  the  doctor, 
mildly.  "  He  couldn't  prove  the  authorship,  and  he 
couldn't  get  the  copyright." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  67 

"Oil,  of  course  not;  but  be  would  gain  notoriety,  and 
tbat  would  give  bira  a  great  sale  for  bis  next  effort." 

Tbe  doctor  smiled.  "See  bere,  Melick,"  said  be, 
"you've  a  very  vivid  imagination,  my  dear  fellow;  but 
come,  let  us  discuss  tbis  for  a  little  wbile  in  a  common- 
sense  way.  Now,  bow  long  sbould  you  suppose  tbat 
tbis  manuscript  bas  been  afloat  ?" 

"  Ob,  a  few  montbs  or  so,"  said  Melick. 

"  A  few  montbs  !"  said  tbe  doctor.  "  A  few  years, 
you  mean.  Wby,  man,  tbere  are  successive  layers  of 
barnacles  on  tbat  copper  cylinder  wbicb  sbow  a  sub- 
mersion of  at  least  three  years,  perbaps  more." 

"  By  Jove  !  yes,"  remarked  Featberstone.  "  Your 
sensation  novelist  must  bave  been  a  lunatic  if  be  cbose 
tbat  way  of  publishing  a  book." 

"  Tben,  again,"  continued  tbe  doctor,  "  bow  did  it  get 
bere  ?" 

"  Ob,  easily  enough,"  answered  Melick.  "  Tbe  ocean 
currents  brought  it." 

"  Tbe  ocean  currents  !"  repeated  tbe  doctor.  "  That's 
a  very  vague  expression.  What  do  you  mean  ?  Of 
course  it  bas  been  brought  bere  by  tbe  ocean  currents." 

"  Why,  if  it  were  thrown  off  tbe  coast  of  England  it 
would  be  carried  away,  in  tbe  ordinary  course  of  things, 
and  might  make  the  tour  of  the  world." 

"The  ocean  currents,"  said  the  doctor,  "bave  un- 
doubtedly brought  this  to  us.  Of  tbat  I  shall  bave 
more  to  say  presently;  but  just  now,  in  reference  to  your 
notion  of  a  sensation  novelist,  and  an  English  origin, 
let  me  ask  your  opinion  of  the  material  on  wbicb  it  is 
written.  Did  you  ever  see  anything  like  it  before  ?  Is 
it  paper  ?" 

"No,"  said  Melick;  "it  is  evidently  some  vegetable 
substance.  No  doubt  the  writer  has  had  it  prepared  for 
this  very  purpose,  so  as  to  make  it  look  natural." 


68  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Do  you  know  what  it  is  ?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"Ko." 

"Then  I'll  tell  you;  it's  papyrus." 

"  Papyrus  ?" 

"  Yes,  actual  papyrus.  You  can  find  but  little  of  that 
in  existence  at  the  present  day.  It  is  only  to  be  found 
here  and  there  in  museums.  I  know  it  perfectly  well, 
however,  and  saw  what  it  was  at  the  first  glance.  Now, 
I  hold  that  a  sensation  novelist  woidd  never  have  thought 
of  papyrus.  If  he  didn't  wish  to  use  paper,  he  could 
have  found  a  dozen  other  things,  I  don't  see  how  he 
could  have  found  any  one  able  to  prepare  such  a  sub- 
stance as  this  for  writing.  It  must  have  come  from  a 
country  where  it  is  actually  in  use.  Now,  mark  you, 
the  papyrus-plant  may  still  be  found  growing  wild  on 
the  banks  of  the  upper  Nile,  and  also  in  Sicily,  and  it  is 
made  use  of  for  ropes  and  other  things  of  that  sort. 
But  as  to  making  writing  material  out  of  it,  that  is 
hardly  possible,  for  the  art  is  lost.  The  ancient  process 
was  very  elaborate,  and  this  manuscript  is  Avritten  on 
leaves  which  resemble  in  a  marvellous  manner  those  of 
the  Egyptian  papyrus  books.  There  are  two  rolls  at 
Marseilles  which  I  have  seen  and  examined,  and  they 
are  identical  with  this.  Now  these  papyrus  leaves  in- 
dicate much  mechanical  skill,  and  have  a  professional 
look.  They  seem  like  the  work  of  an  experienced 
manufacturer." 

"I  don't  see,"  said  Melick,  obstinately,  "why  one 
shouldn't  get  papyrus  now  and  have  it  made  up  into 
writing  material." 

"  Oh,  that's  out  of  the  question,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  How  could  it  ever  enter  into  any  one's  head  ?  IIow 
could  your  mere  sensation-monger  procure  the  raw 
material  ?  That  of  itself  would  be  a  work  of  immense 
difficulty.    IIow  could  he  get  it  made  up  ?    That  would 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  69 

be  impossible.  But,  apart  from  this,  just  consider  the 
strong  internal  evidence  that  there  is  as  to  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  manuscript.  Now,  in  the  first  place,  there 
is  the  description  of  Desolation  Island,  which  is  per- 
fectly accurate.  But  it  is  on  his  narrative  beyond  this 
that  I  lay  chief  stress.  I  can  prove  that  the  statements 
here  are  corroborated  by  those  of  Captain  Ross  in  his 
account  of  that  great  voyage  from  which  he  returned 
not  very  long  ago." 

The  doctor,  who  had  been  talking  with  much  enthu- 
siasm, paused  here  to  take  breath,  and  then  went  on  : 

"  I  happen  to  know  all  about  that  voyage,  for  I  read  a 
full  report  of  it  just  before  we  started,  and  you  can  see 
for  yourselves  whether  this  manuscript  is  credible  or  not. 

"Captain  James  Clarke  Ross  was  sent  forth  on  his 
expedition  in  1839.  On  January  1,  1841,  he  passed  the 
antarctic  circle  in  178°  east  longitude.  On  the  11th  he 
discovered  land  in  70°  41'  south  latitude,  172°  3G'  cast 
longitude.  He  found  that  the  land  was  a  continuous 
coast,  trending  southward,  and  rising  to  peaks  of  ten 
thousand  feet  in  height,  all  covered  with  ice  and  snow. 
On  the  12th  he  landed  and  took  possession  in  the  name 
of  the  queen.  After  this  he  continued  his  course  as  far  as 
78°  4'  south  latitude,  tracing  a  coast-line  of  six  hundred 
miles.  Observe,  now,  how  all  this  coincides  with  More's 
narrative.  Well,  I  now  come  to  the  crowning  state- 
ment. In  77°  32'  south  latitude,  167°  east  longitude,  he 
came  in  sight  of  two  enormous  volcanoes  over  twelve 
thousand  feet  in  height.  One  of  these  was  in  an  active 
state  of  eruption.  To  this  he  gave  the  name  of  Mount 
Erebus.  The  other  Avas  quiet ;  it  was  of  somewhat 
less  height,  and  he  gave  it  the  name  of  Mount  Terror. 
Mark,  now,  how  wonderfully  this  resembles  More's  ac- 
count. Well,  just  here  his  progress  was  arrested  by  a 
barrier  which  presented  a  perpendicular  wall  of  over  a 


70  A  Strange  Manuscript 

hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  along  which  he  coast- 
ed for  some  distance.  On  the  following  year  he  pene- 
trated six  miles  farther  soiith,  namely,  78°  11'  south 
latitude,  161°  27'  west  longitude.  At  this  point  he  was 
again  stopped  by  the  impassable  cliffs,  which  arose  here 
like  an  eternal  barrier,  while  beyond  them  he  saw  a  long 
line  of  lofty  mountains  covered  with  ice  and  snow." 

"Did  you  hear  the  result  of  the  American  expedi- 
tion ?!'  asked  Melick. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  "NVilkes  pretends  to 
have  found  a  continent,  but  his  account  of  it  makes  it 
quite  evident  to  my  mind  that  he  saw  nothing  but  ice. 
I  believe  that  Wilkes's  antarctic  continent  will  some  day 
be  penetrated  by  ships,  which  will  sail  for  hundreds  of 
miles  farther  south.  All  that  is  wanted  is  a  favorable 
season.  But  mark  the  coincidence  between  Ross's  re- 
port and  More's  manuscript.  This  must  have  been 
written  at  least  three  years  ago,  and  the  writer  could 
not  have  known  anything  about  Ross's  discoveries. 
Above  all,  he  could  not  have  thought  of  those  two  vol- 
canoes unless  he  had  seen  them." 

"  But  these  volcanoes  mentioned  by  More  are  not  the 
Erebus  and  Terror,  are  they  ?"  said  Lord  Featherstone. 

"  Of  course  not  ;  they  are  on  the  other  side  of  the 
world." 

"  The  whole  story,"  said  Melick,  "  may  have  been 
written  by  one  of  Ross's  men  and  thrown  overboard. 
If  I'd  been  on  that  expedition  I  should  probably  have 
written  it  to  beguile  the  time." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  doctor  ;  "  and  you  would  also 
have  manufactured  the  papyrus  and  the  copper  cylinder 
on  board  to  beguile  the  time." 

"I  dare  say  the  writer  picked  up  that  papyrus  and 
the  copper  cylinder  in  China  or  Jai)an,  and  made  use  of 
it  in  this  way." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  71 

"  Where  do  you  make  out  the  position  of  More's  vol- 
canoes ?"  asked  Featherstone. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  make  it  out  accurately,"  said  the 
doctor.  "  More  gives  no  data.  In  fact  he  had  none  to 
give.     He  couldn't  take  any  observations." 

"The  fact  is,"  said  Melick,  "  it's  not  a  sailor's  yarn  at 
all.  No  sailor  would  ever  express  himself  in  that  way. 
That's  what  struck  me  from  the  first.  It  has  the  ring 
of  a  confounded  sensation-monger  all  through." 

The  doctor  elevated  his  eyebrows,  but  took  no  notice 
of  this. 

"  You  see,"  he  continued,  addressing  himself  to  the 
others,  "Desolation  Island  is  in  50°  south  latitude  and 
70°  east  longitude.  As  I  make  it  out,  More's  course  led 
him  over  about  ten  degrees  of  longitude  in  a  southwest 
course.  That  course  depended  altogether  upon  the 
ocean  currents.  Now  there  is  a  great  antarctic  drift- 
current,  which  Hows  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and 
divides  there,  one  half  flowing  past  the  east  coast  of 
Africa  and  the  other  setting  across  the  Indian  Ocean. 
Then  it  unites  with  a  current  which  flows  round  the 
south  of  Van  Dieman's  Land,  which  also  divides,  and 
the  southernmost  current  is  supposed  to  cross  the  Pa- 
cific until  it  strikes  Cape  Horn,  around  which  it  flows, 
dividing  as  before.  Now  my  theory  is,  that  south  of 
Desolation  Island  —  I  don't  know  how  far  —  there  is  a 
great  current  setting  towards  the  South  Pole,  and  run- 
ning southwest  through  degrees  of  longitude  60°,  50°, 
40°,  30°,  20°,  10°,  east  of  Greenwich  ;  and  finally  sweep- 
ing on,  it  would  reach  More's  volcanoes  at  a  point  which 
I  should  judge  to  be  about  80°  south  latitude  and  10° 
west  longitude.  There  it  passes  between  the  volcanoes 
and  bursts  through  the  vast  mountain  barrier  by  a  sub- 
terranean way,  Avhich  has  been  formed  for  it  in  past 
ages  by  some  primeval  convulsion  of  nature.     After 


12  A  Strange  Manuscript 

this  it  probably  sweeps  around  the  great  South  Polar 
ocean,  and  emerges  at  the  opposite  side,  not  far  from 
the  volcanoes  Erebus  and  Terror." 

Here  the  doctor  paused,  and  looked  around  with 
some  self-complacency". 

"  Oh,"  said  Melick,  "  if  you  take  that  tone,  you  have 
us  all  at  your  mercy.  I  know  no  more  about  the  geog- 
raphy of  the  antarctic  circle  than  I  do  of  the  moon.  I 
simply  criticise  from  a  literary  point  of  view,  and  I 
don't  like  his  underground  cavern  with  the  stream  run- 
ning through  it.  It  sounds  like  one  of  the  voyages  of 
Sindbad  the  Sailor.  Nor  do  I  like  his  descrijation  ;  he 
evidently  is  writing  for  effect.  Besides,  his  style  is 
vicious  ;  it  is  too  stilted.  Finally,  he  has  recourse  to 
the  stale  device  of  a  sea-serpent." 

"  A  sea-serpent !"  repeated  the  doctor.  "  Well,  for 
my  part,  I  feel  by  no  means  inclined  to  sneer  at  a  sea- 
serpent.  Its  existence  cannot  be  proved,  yet  it  cannot 
be  pooh-poohed.  Every  schoolboy  knows  that  the  wa- 
ters of  the  sea  were  once  filled  with  monsters  more  tre- 
mendous than  the  greatest  sea-serpent  that  has  ever  been 
imagined.  The  plesiosaurus,  with  its  snakelike  head, 
if  it  existed  now,  would  be  called  a  sea-serpent.  Some 
of  these  so-called  fossil  animals  may  have  their  repre- 
sentatives still  living  in  the  remoter  parts  of  the  world. 
Think  of  the  recently  discovered  ornithorhynchus  of 
Australia  !" 

"If  j^ou  please,  I'd  really  much  rather  not,"  said  Mel- 
ick, with  a  gesture  of  despair.  "  I  haven't  the  honor  of 
the  gentleman's  acquaintance." 

"  Well,  what  do  you  think  of  his  notice  of  the  sun, 
and  the  long  light,  and  his  low  position  on  the  horizon  ?" 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,"  said  Melick.  "Any  one  who 
chose  to  get  up  this  thing  would  of  course  read  up  about 
the  polar  day,  and  all  that.     Every  one  knows  that  at 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  73 

the  poles  there  is  a  six-months  day,  followed  by  a  six- 
months  niglit." 

"  You  are  a  determined  sceptic,"  said  the  doctor, 

"  How  is  it  about  the  polar  day  ?"  asked  Feather- 
stone. 

"  Well,"  said  the  doctor,  "  at  the  poles  themselves  there 
is  one  day  of  six  months,  during  which  the  sun  never  sets, 
and  one  night  of  six  months,  during  which  he  never 
rises.  In  the  spaces  between  the  polar  circles  the  quan- 
tities of  the  continuous  day  and  continuous  night  vary 
in  accordance  with  the  distance  from  the  pole.  At  the 
north  point  of  Nova  Zembla,  75°  north  latitude,  there 
is  uninterrupted  light  from  May  1  to  August  12,  and 
uninterrupted  darkness  fi'om  November  8  to  February 
9.  At  the  arctic  circle  at  the  summer  solstice  the  day 
is  twenty-four  hours  long.  At  the  antarctic  circle  at 
the  same  time  the  night  is  twenty-four  hours  long." 

Upon  this  Melick  filled  the  doctor's  wine-glass,  Avith  a 
great  deal  of  ceremony. 

"After  all  those  statistics,"  he  said,  "you  must  feel 
rather  dry.  You  should  take  a  drink  before  venturing 
any  further." 

The  doctor  made  no  reply,  but  raised  the  glass  to  his 
lips  and  swallowed  the  wine  in  an  abstracted  way. 

"  The  thing  that  struck  me  most,"  said  Oxenden,  "  in 
all  that  has  been  read  thus  far,  is  the  flatness  of  the 
South  Pole,  and  the  peculiar  effect  which  this  produces 
on  the  landscape." 

"  I  must  say,"  added  Melick,  "  that  the  writer  has  got 
hold  of  a  very  good  idea  there,  and  has  taken  care  to  put 
it  forward  in  a  very  prominent  fashion." 

"  "What  is  the  difference,"  asked  Oxenden,  "  between 
the  two  diameters  of  the  earth,  the  polar  and  the  equa- 
torial ?     Is  it  known  ?" 

"By  Jove  !"  said  Featherstone,  "  that's  the  very  ques- 
4 


74  A  Strange  Manuscript 

tion  I  was  going  to  ask.  I've  always  heard  that  the 
earth  is  flattened  at  the  poles,  but  never  kneAV  how  much. 
Is  there  any  way  by  which  people  can  find  out  ?" 

The  doctor  drew  a  long  breath,  and  beamed  upon  the 
company  with  a  benevolent  smile. 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  he  ;  "I  can  answer  that  question,  if 
you  care  to  know,  and  won't  feel  bored." 

"Answer  it,  then,  my  dear  fellow,  by  all  means,"  said 
Featherstone,  in  his  most  languid  tone. 

"There  are  two  ways,"  said  the  doctor,  "by  which 
the  polar  compression  of  the  earth  has  been  found  out. 
One  is  by  the  measurement  of  arcs  on  the  earth's  sur- 
face ;  the  other  is  by  experiments  Avith  pendulums  or 
weights  with  regard  to  the  earth's  gravity  at  different 
places.  The  former  of  these  methods  is,  perhaps,  the 
more  satisfactory.  Measurements  of  arcs  have  been 
made  on  a  very  extensive  scale  in  different  parts  of  the 
world — in  England,  France,  Lapland,  Peru,  and  India. 
Mr.  Ivory,  who  devoted  himself  for  years  to  an  exhaust- 
ive examination  of  the  subject,  has  deduced  that  the 
equatorial  radius  of  the  earth  is  over  3962  miles,  and  the 
polar  radius  over  3949  miles.  This  makes  the  depres- 
sion at  either  pole  upward  of  thirteen  miles.  A  depres- 
sion of  over  thirteen  miles,  as  you  must  plainly  see, 
should  produce  strange  results  in  the  scenery  at  the 
poles.  Of  course,  if  there  are  mountains,  no  difference 
would  be  noticed  between  this  and  any  other  part  of  the 
earth's  surface  ;  but  if  there  is  water,  why,  we  ought  to 
expect  some  such  state  of  things  as  More  describes. 
The  gravitation  test  has  also  been  tried,  with  very 
nearly  the  same  result.  The  surface  of  the  earth  at 
the  equator  being  farthest  from  the  centre  of  gravity, 
indicates  the  least  weight  in  bodies  ;  but  at  the  poles, 
where  the  surface  is  nearest  the  centre  of  gravity,  there 
must  be  the  greatest  weight.     It  is  found,  in  fact,  that 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  .  76 

the  weight  of  bodies  increases  in  passing  from  the  equa- 
tor to  the  poles.  By  experiments  made  in  this  way  the 
polar  compression  is  ascertained  to  be  the  same  as  I 
have  mentioned." 

"What  effect  would  this  have  on  the  climate  at  the 
poles  ?"  asked  Oxenden. 

"  That's  a  complicated  question,"  said  the  doctor. 
"In  answer  to  that  we  must  leave  ascertained  facts  and 
trust  to  theories,  unless,  indeed,  we  accept  as  valid  the 
statements  of  this  remarkable  manuscript.  For  my  own 
part,  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  as  More  says. 
Remember,  this  polar  world  is  thirteen  miles  nearer  to 
the  centre  of  the  earth.  "Whether  this  should  affect  the 
climate  or  not,  depends  upon  the  nature  of  the  earth's 
interior.  That  interior,  according  to  the  popular  theory 
of  the  present  day,  is  a  mass  of  fire.  This  theory  affirms 
that  the  earth  was  once  a  red-hot  mass,  which  has  cooled 
down;  but  the  cooling  process  has  only  taken  place  on 
the  surface,  leaving  the  interior  still  a  molten  mass  of 
matter  in  a  state  of  intense  heat  and  combustion.  At 
the  poles  the  surface  is  thus  thirteen  miles  nearer  to 
these  tremendous  fires.  Of  course  it  may  be  supposed 
that  the  earth's  crust  is  of  about  equal  thickness  on  all 
parts;  yet  still,  even  if  this  be  so,  thirteen  miles  ought 
to  make  some  difference.  Now  at  the  North  Pole  there 
seem  to  be  causes  at  work  to  counterbalance  the  effect 
of  the  internal  heat,  chiefly  in  the  enormous  accumula- 
tion of  polar  ice  which  probably  hems  it  in  on  every 
side;  and  though  many  believe  in  an  open  polar  sea  of 
warm  water  at  the  North  Pole,  yet  still  the  effect  of 
vast  ice-masses  and  of  cold  submarine  currents  must  be 
to  render  the  climate  severe.  But  at  the  South  Pole  it 
is  different.  The  observations  of  Ross  and  of  More 
show  us  that  there  is  a  chain  of  mountains  of  immense 
height,  which  seem  to  encircle  the  pole.     If  this  be  so, 


76  A  Strange  Manuscript 

and  I  see  no  reason  to  disbelieve  it,  then  the  ice  of  the 
outer  seas  must  be  kept  away  altogether  from  that 
strange  inner  sea  of  which  More  speaks.  Ross  saw  the 
volcanoes  Erebus  and  Terror;  More  saw  two  others. 
How  many  more  there  may  be  it  is  impossible  to  say; 
but  all  this  shows  that  the  effect  of  the  earth's  internal 
fires  is  very  manifest  in  that  region,  and  More  has  pene- 
trated to  a  secluded  world,  which  lies  apart  by  itself, 
free  from  the  influence  of  ice-masses,  left  to  feel  the  ef- 
fect of  the  internal  fires,  and  possessing  what  is  vii'tually 
a  tropical  climate." 

"  Well,"  said  Melick,  "  there  is  no  theor}-,  however 
wild  and  fantastic,  which  some  man  of  science  will  not 
be  ready  to  support  and  to  fortify  by  endless  arguments, 
all  of  the  most  plausible  kind.  For  my  own  part,  I  still 
believe  More  and  his  south  polar  world  to  be  no  more 
authentic  than  Sindbad  the  Sailor." 

But  the  others  evidently  sympathized  with  the  doc- 
tor's view,  and  regarded  Melick  as  carrying  his  scepti- 
cism to  an  absurd  excess. 

"  How  large  do  you  suppose  this  south  polar  ocean  to 
be?"  asked  Featherstone. 

"It  is  impossible  to  answer  that  question  exactly," 
said  the  doctor.  "It  may  be,  as  More  hints,  a  thousand 
miles  in  extent,  or  only  five  hundred,  or  two  hundred. 
For  my  own  part,  however,  I  feel  like  taking  More's 
statements  at  their  utmost  value;  and  the  idea  that  I 
have  crathercd  from  his  narrative  is  that  of  a  vast  sea 
like  the  Mediterranean,  surrounded  by  impassable  moun- 
tains; by  great  and  fertile  countries,  peopled  with  an 
immense  variety  of  animals,  with  a  fauna  and  flora  quite 
unlike  those  of  the  rest  of  the  Avorld;  and,  above  all, 
with  great  nations  possessing  a  rare  and  unique  civiliza- 
tion, and  belonging  to  a  race  altogether  different  from 
any  of  the  known  races  of  men." 


Found  in  a  Cojyper  Cylinder.  '77 

"  Well,"  said  Melick,  "  that  at  least  is  the  idea  which 
the  writer  of  the  manuscript  tries  to  convey." 

By  this  time  they  had  finished  dinner. 

"  And  now,"  said  Featherstone,  "  let's  have  some  more 
of  the  manuscript.  Melick  is  tired  of  it,  I  dare  say.  I 
would  relieve  him,  but  I'm  an  infernally  bad  reader. 
Doctor,  what  do  you  say?  Will  you  read  the  next  in- 
stalment !" 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  said  the  doctor,  briskly. 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  Featherstone  ;  "  we  will  all 
be  your  attentive  hearers." 

And  now  the  doctor  took  up  the  manuscript  and  be- 
gan to  read. 


78  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    CAVE-DWELLERS. 

The  cavern  into  which  the  chief  led  me  was  very 
spacious,  but  had  no  light  except  that  which  entered 
through  the  portal.  It  was  with  difficulty  that  I  could 
see  anything,  but  I  found  that  there  were  many  people 
here  moving  about,  all  as  intent  upon  their  own  pursuits 
as  those  which  one  encounters  in  the  streets  of  our  cit- 
ies. As  we  went  on  farther  the  darkness  increased,  un- 
til at  last  I  lost  sight  of  the  chief  altogether,  and  he  had 
to  come  back  and  lead  me.  After  going  a  little  farther 
we  came  to  a  long,  broad  passage-way  like  a  subterra- 
nean street,  about  twenty  feet  in  width,  and  as  many 
in  height.  Here  there  were  discernible  a  few  twinkling 
lamps,  which  served  to  make  the  darkness  less  intense 
and  enabled  me  to  see  the  shadowy  figures  around. 
These  were  numerous,  and  all  seemed  busy,  though 
what  their  occupation  might  be  I  could  not  guess.  I 
was  amazed  at  the  extent  of  these  caverns,  and  at  the 
multitude  of  the  people.  I  saw  also  that  from  the  nat- 
ure of  their  eyes  the  sunlight  distressed  them,  and  in 
this  cavern  gloom  they  found  their  most  congenial 
dwelling-place.  From  what  I  had  thus  far  seen,  this 
extraordinary  people  shrank  from  the  sunlight  ;  and 
when  they  had  to  move  abroad  they  passed  over  roads 
which  were  darkened  as  much  as  possible  by  the  deep 
shadows  of  mighty  ferns,  while  for  the  most  part  they 
remained  in  dark  caverns,  in  w'hich  they  lived  and 
moved   and  had  their  being.     It  was  a  puzzle  to  me 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  79 

whethei*  the  weakness  of  their  eyes  had  caused  this  dis- 
like of  light,  or  the  habit  of  cave-dwelling  had  caused 
this  weakness  of  eyes.  Here,  in  this  darkness,  where 
there  was  but  a  faint  twinkle  from  the  feeble  lamps, 
their  eyes  seemed  to  serve  them  as  well  as  mine  did  in 
the  outer  light  of  day;  and  the  chief,  who  outside  had 
moved  with  an  uncertain  step,  and  had  blinked  painful- 
ly at  objects  with  his  eyes  almost  closed,  now  appeared 
to  be  in  bis  proper  element;  and  while  I  hesitated  like 
a  blind  man  and  groped  along  with  a  faltering  step,  he 
guided  me,  and  seemed  to  see  everything  with  perfect 
vision. 

At  length  we  stopped,  and  the  chief  raised  up  a  thick, 
heavy  mat  which  hung  like  an  unwieldy  curtain  in  front 
of  a  doorway.  This  the  chief  lifted.  At  once  a  blaze 
of  light  burst  forth,  gleaming  into  the  dark,  and  appear- 
ing to  blind  him.  His  eyes  closed.  He  held  up  the  veil 
for  me  to  pass  through,  I  did  so.  He  followed,  and 
then  groped  his  way  slowly  along,  while  I  accompanied 
and  assisted  him. 

I  now  found  myself  in  a  large  grotto  with  an  arched 
roof,  from  which  was  suspended  an  enormous  lamp, 
either  golden  or  gilded.  All  around  were  numerous 
lamps.  The  walls  were  adorned  with  rich  hangings ; 
couches  were  here,  with  soft  cushions,  and  divans  and 
ottomans  ;  soft  mats  were  on  the  floor,  and  everything 
gave  indications  of  luxury  and  wealth.  Other  doors, 
covered  with  overhanging  mats,  seemed  to  lead  out  of 
this  grotto.  To  one  of  these  the  chief  walked,  and 
raising  the  mat  he  led  the  way  into  another  grotto  like 
the  last,  with  the  same  bright  lights  and  the  same  adorn- 
ments, but  of  smaller  size.  Here  I  saw  some  one  who 
at  once  took  up  all  my  attention. 

It  was  a  young  maiden.  Her  face  and  form,  but  es- 
pecially her  eyes,  showed  her  to  be  of  quite  a  different 


80  A  Strange  Manuscript 

race  from  these  others.  To  me  she  was  of  medium 
height,  yet  she  was  taller  than  any  of  the  people  here 
that  I  had  hitherto  seen.  Her  complexion  was  much 
lighter;  her  hair  was  dark,  luxuriant,  and  wavy,  and  ar- 
ranged in  a  coiffure  secured  with  a  golden  band.  Her 
features  were  of  a  different  cast  from  those  of  the  peo- 
ple here,  for  they  were  regular  in  outline  and  of  exqui- 
site beauty;  her  nose  was  straight;  she  had  a  short  upper 
lip,  arched  eyebrows  finely  pencilled,  thin  lips,  and  well- 
rounded  chin.  But  the  chief  contrast  was  in  her  eyes. 
These  were  large,  dark,  liquid,  with  long  lashes,  and 
with  a  splendid  glow  in  their  lustrous  depths.  She 
stood  looking  at  me  with  her  face  full  of  amazement; 
and  as  I  caught  the  gaze  of  her  glorious  eyes  I  rejoiced 
that  I  had  at  last  found  one  who  lived  in  the  light  and 
loved  it — one  who  did  not  blink  like  a  bat,  but  looked 
me  full  in  the  face,  and  allowed  me  to  see  all  her  soul 
revealed.  The  chief,  who  still  was  pained  by  the  glare 
of  light,  kept  his  eyes  covered,  and  said  a  few  hasty 
words  to  the  maiden.  After  this  he  hurried  away,  leav- 
ing me  there. 

The  maiden  stood  for  a  moment  looking  at  me.  As 
the  chief  spoke  to  her  a  change  came  over  her  face. 
She  looked  at  me  in  silence,  with  an  expression  of  sad 
and  mournful  interest,  which  seemed  to  increase  every 
moment.  At  length  she  approached  and  said  some- 
thing in  the  same  strange  language  which  the  chief  had 
used.  I  shook  my  head  and  replied  in  English,  wher- 
upon  she  shook  her  head  with  a  look  of  perplexity. 
Then,  anxious  to  conciliate  her,  I  held  out  my  hand. 
She  looked  at  it  in  some  surprise.  Upon  this  I  took  her 
hand,  and  pressed  it  to  my  lips,  feeling,  however,  some- 
what doubtful  as  to  the  way  in  which  she  might  receive 
such  an  advance.  To  my  great  delight  she  accepted  it 
in  a  friendly  spirit,  and  seemed  to  consider  it  my  for- 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  81 

cign  fashion  of  showing  friendship  and  respect.  She 
smiled  and  nodded,  and  pointed  to  my  gun,  which  thus 
far  I  had  carried  in  my  hand.  I  smiled  and  laid  it 
down.  Then  she  pointed  to  a  seat.  I  sat  down,  and 
then  she  seated  herself  close  by  me,  and  we  looked  at 
each  other  in  mutual  wonder  and  mutual  inquiry. 

I  was  full  of  amazement  at  thus  meeting  with  so 
exquisite  a  being,  and  lost  myself  in  conjectures  as  to 
her  race,  her  office,  and  her  position  here.  Who  was 
she,  or  what  ?  She  was  unlike  the  others,  and  reminded 
me  of  those  Oriental  beauties  whose  portraits  I  had  seen 
in  annuals  and  illustrated  books.  Her  costume  was  in 
keeping  with  such  a  character.  She  wore  a  long  tunic 
that  reached  from  the  neck  to  the  ground,  secured  at 
the  waist  with  a  golden  girdle  ;  the  sleeves  were  long 
and  loose ;  over  this  she  had  a  long  mantle ;  on  her  feet 
were  light  slippers,  white  and  glistening.  All  about 
her,  in  her  room  and  in  her  costume,  spoke  of  light  and 
splendor  and  luxury.  To  these  others  who  shrank  so 
from  the  light  she  could  not  be  related  in  any  way. 
The  respect  with  which  she  was  treated  by  the  chief, 
the  peculiar  splendor  of  her  apartments,  seemed  to  in- 
dicate some  high  rank.  "Was  she,  then,  the  queen  of 
the  land  ?  Was  she  a  princess  ?  I  could  not  tell.  At 
any  rate,  whatever  she  was,  she  seemed  anxious  to  show 
me  the  utmost  attention.  Her  manner  was  full  of  dig- 
nity and  sweet  graciousness,  and  she  appeared  particu- 
larly anxious  to  make  herself  understood.  At  first  she 
spoke  in  a  language  that  sounded  like  that  of  the  chief, 
and  was  full  of  gutturals  and  broad  vowels;  afterwards 
she  spoke  in  another  that  Avas  far  more  euphonious,  I, 
on  the  other  hand,  spoke  in  English  and  in  French; 
but  of  course  I  was  as  unintelligible  to  her  as  she  was 
to  me. 

Language  was,  therefore,  of  no  use.  It  was  necessary 
4* 


82  A  Strange  Manuscript 

to  go  back  to  first  principles  and  make  use  of  signs,  or 
try  to  gain  the  most  elementary  words  of  her  language; 
so  first  of  all  I  pointed  to  her,  and  tried  to  indicate  that 
I  wanted  to  know  her  name.  She  caught  my  meaning 
at  once,  and,  pointing  to  herself,  she  looked  fixedly  at 
me  and  said, 

"Almah,  Almah  !" 

I  repeated  these  words  after  her,  saying,  "Almah, 
Almah  !"  She  smiled  and  nodded,  and  then  pointed  to 
me  with  a  look  of  inquiry  that  plainly  asked  for  my 
name.  I  said  "Adam  More."  She  repeated  this,  and 
it  sounded  like  "  A-tam-or."  But  as  she  spoke  this 
slowly  her  smile  died  away.  She  looked  anxious  and 
troubled,  and  once  more  that  expression  of  wondering 
sadness  came  over  her  face.  She  repeated  ray  name 
over  and  over  in  this  way  with  a  mournful  intonation 
that  thrilled  through  me,  and  excited  forebodings  of 
evil.  "  Atamor,  Atamor !"  And  always  after  that  she 
called  me  "Atamor." 

But  now  she  sat  for  some  time,  looking  at  me  with  a 
face  full  of  pity  and  distress.  At  this  I  was  greatly  as- 
tonished; for  but  a  moment  before  she  had  been  full  of 
smiles,  and  it  was  as  though  something  in  my  name  had 
excited  sorrowful  thoughts.  Yet  how  could  that  be, 
since  she  could  never  by  any  possibility  have  heard  my 
name  before  ?  The  beautiful  Almah  seemed  to  be  not 
altogether  happy,  or  why  should  she  be  so  quick  to  sad- 
ness? There  was  a  mystery  about  all  this  which  was 
quite  unaccountable. 

It  was  a  singular  situation,  and  one  which  excited 
within  me  feelings  of  unutterable  delight.  This  light 
and  splendor,  this  warmth  and  peace — what  a  contrast 
it  offered  to  the  scenes  through  which  I  had  but  lately 
passed  !  Those  scenes  of  horror,  of  ice  and  snow,  of 
storm  and  tempest,  of  cold  and  hunger,  of  riven  cliff 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  83 

and  furious  ocean  stream,  and,  above  all,  that  crowning 
agony  in  the  bleak  iron-land  of  the  cannibals — from  all 
these  I  had  escaped.  I  had  been  drawn  down  under 
the  earth  to  experience  the  terrors  of  that  unspeakable 
passage,  and  had  at  last  emerged  to  light  and  life,  to 
joy  and  hope.  In  this  grotto  I  had  found  the  culmina- 
tion of  all  happiness.  It  was  like  a  fairy  realm;  and 
here  was  one  whose  very  look  was  enough  to  inspire 
the  most  despairing  soul  with  hope  and  peace  and  hap- 
piness. The  only  thing  that  was  now  left  to  trouble 
me  was  this  mournful  face  of  Almah.  Why  did  she 
look  at  me  with  such  sad  interest  and  such  melancholy 
meaning  ?  Did  she  know  of  any  evil  fate  in  store  for 
me  ?  Yet  how  could  there  be  any  evil  fate  to  be  feared 
from  people  who  had  received  me  with  such  unparal- 
leled generosity  ?  No,  it  could  not  be;  so  I  resolved  to 
try  to  bring  back  again  the  smile  that  had  faded  out  of 
her  face. 

I  pointed  to  her,  and  said  "  Almah." 

She  said  "Atara-or." 

And  the  smile  did  not  come  back,  but  the  sadness  re- 
mained in  her  face. 

My  eager  desire  now  was  to  learn  her  language,  and 
I  resolved  at  once  to  acquire  as  many  words  and  phrases 
as  possible.  I  began  by  asking  the  names  of  things, 
such  as  "  seat,"  "table,"  ''mat,"  "  coat,"  "hat,"  "shoe," 
"lamp,"  "floor,"  "wall,"  and  all  the  common  objects 
around.  She  gave  all  the  names,  and  soon  became  so 
deeply  interested  that  her  sadness  departed,  and  the 
smile  came  back  once  more.  For  my  own  part,  I  was 
always  rather  quick  at  learning  languages.  I  had  a  cor- 
rect ear  and  a  retentive  memory;  in  ray  wanderings 
round  the  world  I  had  picked  up  a  smattering  of  many 
languages,  such  as  French,  Italian,  Spanish,  Arabic,  Ger- 
man, Hindostanee,  and  a  few  others.     The  words  which 


84  A  Strange  Manuscript 

I  learned  from  Almah  had  a  remote  resemblance  to  Ara- 
bic; and,  in  fact,  my  knowledge  of  Arabic  was  actually 
of  some  assistance,  though  how  it  was  that  these  peo- 
ple should  have  a  language  with  that  resemblance  was 
certainly  a  mystery,  and  I  did  not  try  to  solve  it.  The 
beautiful  Almah  soon  grew  immensely  interested  in  my 
efforts  to  learn,  and  also  in  the  English  words  which  I 
gave  when  I  pointed  to  any  object. 

Thus  I  pointed  to  myself,  and  said  "Man,"  then  point- 
ing to  her,  I  said,  "  Woman."  She  laughed,  and  point- 
ing to  me  said  "Iz,"  and  pointing  to  herself  said  "  Izza," 
Then  I  pointed  to  the  row  of  lights,  and  said  "  Light;" 
she  did  the  same,  and  said  "  Or."  Then  her  face  grew 
mournful,  and  she  pointed  to  me,  saying  "  Atam-or."  It 
struck  me  then  that  there  was  some  chance  resemblance 
between  "or,"  the  word  meaning  "light,"  and  one  of  the 
syllables  of  my  name  as  she  pronounced  it,  and  that 
this  might  cause  her  sadness;  but  as  I  could  make  out 
nothing  of  this,  I  dismissed  the  thought,  and  went  on 
with  my  questions.  This  took  up  the  time,  until  at 
length  some  one  appeared  who  looked  like  a  servant. 
He  said  something,  whereupon  Almah  arose  and  beck- 
oned to  me  to  follow.  I  did  so,  and  Ave  went  to  a  neigh- 
boring apartment,  where  there  was  spread  a  bounteous 
repast.  Here  we  sat  and  ate,  and  Almah  told  me  the 
names  of  all  the  dishes.  After  dinner  we  returned  to 
the  room. 

It  was  a  singular  and  a  delightful  position.  I  was 
left  alone  with  the  beautiful  Almah,  who  herself  showed 
the  utmost  graciousness  and  the  kindest  interest  in  me. 
I  could  not  understand  it,  nor  did  I  try  to  ;  it  was 
enough  that  I  had  such  a  happy  lot.  For  hours  we  thus 
were  together,  and  I  learned  many  words.  To  insure 
remembrance,  I  wrote  thenj  down  in  my  memorandum- 
book  with  a  pencil,  and  both  of  these  were  regarded  by 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  85 

Almab  with  the  greatest  curiosity.  She  felt  the  paper, 
inspected  it,  touched  it  with  her  tongue,  and  seemed  to 
admire  it  greatly;  but  the  pencil  excited  still  greater 
admiration.  I  signed  to  her  to  write  in  the  book.  She 
did  so,  but  the  characters  were  quite  unlike  anything 
that  I  had  ever  seen.  They  were  not  joined  like  our 
writing  and  like  Arabic  letters,  but  were  separate  like 
•  our  printed  type,  and  were  formed  in  an  irregular  man- 
ner. She  then  showed  me  a  book  made  of  a  strange 
substance.  It  was  filled  with  characters  like  those  wdiich 
she  had  just  written.  The  leaves  were  not  at  all  like 
paper,  but  seemed  like  some  vegetable  product,  such  as 
the  leaves  of  a  plant  or  the  bark  of  a  tree.  They  were 
very  thin,  very  smooth,  all  cut  into  regular  size,  and 
fastened  together  by  means  of  rings.  This  manuscript 
is  written  upon  the  same  material.  I  afterwards  found 
that  it  was  universally  used  here,  and  was  made  of  a 
reed  that  grows  in  marshes. 

Here  in  these  vast  caverns  there  was  no  way  by  which 
I  could  tell  the  progress  of  time,  but  Almah  had  her 
own  way  of  finding  out  when  the  hours  of  wakeful  life 
were  over.  She  arose  and  said  *'  Salonla."  This  I  after- 
wards found  out  to  be  the  common  sahitation  of  the 
country.  I  said  it  after  her.  She  then  left  me.  Shortly 
afterwards  a  servant  appeared,  who  took  me  to  a  room, 
which  I  understood  to  be  mine.  Here  I  found  every- 
thing that  I  could  wisli,  either  for  comfort  or  luxury; 
and  as  I  felt  fatigue,  I  flung  myself  upon  the  soft  bed 
of  down,  and  soon  was  sound  asleep. 

I  slept  for  a  long  time.  "When  I  awoke  I  heard 
sounds  in  the  distance,  and  knew  that  people  were  mov- 
ing. Here  in  these  caverns  there  was  no  difference  be- 
tween day  and  night,  but,  by  modes  of  which  I  was 
ignorant,  a  regular  succession  was  observed  of  waking 
times  and  sleeping  times. 


86  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE   CAVEUN    OF   THE    DEAD. 

On  going  forth  into  tlie  outer  grotto  I  saw  the  table 
spread  with  a  sumptuous  repast,  and  the  apartment  in  a 
blaze  of  light.  Almah  was  not  here;  and  though  some 
servants  made  signs  for  me  to  eat,  yet  I  could  not  until 
I  should  see  whether  she  was  coming  or  not.  I  had  to 
wait  for  a  long  time,  however  ;  and  while  I  was  waiting 
the  chief  entered,  shading  his  eyes  with  his  hand  from 
the  painful  light.  He  bowed  low  with  the  most  pro- 
found courtesy,  saying  "  Salonla,"  to  which  I  responded 
in  the  same  way.  He  seemed  much  pleased  at  this,  and 
made  a  few  remarks,  which  I  did  not  understand;  where- 
upon, anxious  to  lose  no  time  in  learning  the  language, 
I  repeated  to  him  all  the  words  I  knew,  and  asked  after 
others.  I  pointed  to  him  and  asked  his  name.  He  said 
"  Kohen."  This,  however,  I  afterwards  found  was  not 
a  name,  but  a  title.  The  "  Kohen  "  did  not  remain  long, 
for  the  light  was  painful.  After  his  departure  I  was 
alone  for  some  time,  and  at  length  Almah  made  her  ap- 
pearance. I  sj^rang  to  meet  her,  full  of  joy,  and  took 
her  hand  in  both  of  mine  and  pressed  it  warmly.  She 
smiled,  and  appeared  quite  free  from  the  melancholy  of 
the  previous  day. 

We  ate  our  breakfast  together,  after  which  we  went 
out  into  the  world  of  light,  groping  our  way  along 
through  the  dark  passages  amid  the  busy  crowd.  Al- 
mah could  see  better  than  I  in  the  darkness  ;  but  she 
was  far  from  seeing  well,  and  did  not  move  with  that 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  87 

easy  step  and  perfect  certainty  -wliicli  all  the  others 
showed.  Like  nie,  she  was  a  child  of  light,  and  the 
darkness  was  distressing  to  her.  As  we  Avent  on  we 
were  seen  by  all,  hut  were  apparently  not  considered 
prisoners.  On  the  contrary,  all  looked  at  us  with  the 
deepest  respect,  and  bowed  low  or  moved  aside,  and  oc- 
casionally made  little  offerings  of  fruit  or  flowers  to  one 
or  the  other  of  us.  It  seemed  to  me  that  we  were  treat- 
ed with  equal  distinction;  and  if  Almah  was  their  queen, 
I,  their  guest,  was  regarded  with  equal  honor.  What- 
ever her  rank  might  be,  however,  she  was  to  all  appear- 
ance the  most  absolute  mistress  of  her  own  actions,  and 
moved  about  among  all  these  people  with  the  indepen- 
dence and  dignity  of  some  person  of  exalted  rank. 

At  length  we  emerged  into  the  open  air.  Here  the 
contrast  to  the  cavern  gloom  inside  gave  to  the  outer 
world  unusual  brightness  and  splendor,  so  that  even 
under  the  heavy  overarching  tree-ferns,  which  had 
seemed  so  dark  when  I  was  here  before,  it  now  appeared 
light  and  cheerful.  Almah  turned  to  the  right,  and  we 
walked  along  the  terrace.  But  few  people  were  visible. 
They  shrank  from  the  light,  and  kept  themselves  in  the 
caverns.  Then  after  a  few  steps  we  came  to  the  base 
of  a  tall  half-pyramid,  the  summit  of  which  was  above 
the  tops  of  the  trees.  I  pointed  to  this,  as  though  I 
wished  to  go  up.  Almah  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and 
seemed  to  shrink  back,  but  at  length,  overcoming  her  re- 
luctance, began  the  ascent.  A  flight  of  stone  steps  led 
up.  On  reaching  the  top,  I  found  it  about  thirty  feet 
long  by  fifteen  wide,  with  a  high  stone  table  in  the  mid- 
dle. At  that  moment,  however,  I  scarce  noticed  the 
pyramid  summit,  and  I  only  describe  it  now  because  I 
was  fated  before  long  to  see  it  with  different  feelings. 
What  I  then  noticed  was  the  vast  and  wondrous  display 
of  all  the  glories  of  nature  that  burst  at  once  upon  my 


88  -4  Strange  Manuscript 

view.  There  was  that  same  boundless  sea,  rising  up 
high  towards  the  horizon,  as  I  had  seen  it  before,  and 
suggesting  infinite  extent.  There  were  tlie  bhie  waters 
breaking  into  foam,  the  ships  traversing  the  deep,  the 
far-encircling  shores  green  in  vegetation,  the  high  ram- 
part of  ice-bound  mountains  that  shut  in  the  land,  mak- 
ing it  a  world  by  itself.  There  was  the  sun,  low  on  the 
horizon,  which  it  traversed  on  its  long  orbit,  lighting  up 
all  these  scenes  till  the  six-months  day  should  end  and 
the  six-months  night  begin. 

For  a  long  time  I  stood  feasting  my  eyes  upon  all  this 
splendor,  and  at  length  turned  to  see  whether  Almah 
shared  my  feelings.  One  look  was  enough.  She  stood 
absorbed  in  the  scene,  as  though  she  were  drinking  in 
deep  draughts  of  all  this  matchless  beauty.  I  felt 
amazed  at  this  ;  I  saw  how  different  she  seemed  from 
the  others,  and  could  not  account  for  it.  But  as  yet 
I  knew  too  little  of  the  language  to  question  her,  and 
could  only  hope  for  a  future  explanation  when  I  had 
learned  more. 

We  descended  at  length  and  walked  along  the  terrace 
and  up  and  down  the  side  streets.  All  were  the  same  as 
I  had  noticed  before — terraced  streets,  with  caverns  on 
one  side  and  massive  stone  structures  on  the  other.  I 
saw  deep  channels,  which  were  used  as  drains  to  carry 
dow^n  mountain  torrents.  I  did  not  see  all  at  this  first 
walk,  but  I  inspected  the  whole  city  in  many  subsequent 
walks  until  its  outlines  were  all  familiar.  I  found  it 
about  a  mile  long  and  about  half  a  mile  wide,  con- 
structed in  a  series  of  terraces,  which  rose  one  above 
another  in  a  hollow  of  the  mountains  round  a  harbor  of 
the  sea.  On  my  walks  I  met  with  but  few  people  on 
the  streets,  and  they  all  seemed  troubled  with  the  light. 
I  saw  also  occasionally  some  more  of  those  great  birds,  the 
name  of  which  I  learned  from  Almah;  it  was  "  opkuk." 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  89 

For  some  time  my  life  weiit  on  most  delightfully.  I 
found  myself  surrounded  with  every  comfort  and  lux- 
ury. Almah  was  my  constant  associate,  and  all  around 
regarded  us  with  the  profoundest  respect.  The  people 
were  the  mildest,  most  gentle,  and  most  generous  that 
I  had  ever  seen.  The  Kohen  seemed  to  pass  most  of 
his  time  in  making  new  contrivances  for  my  happiness. 
This  strange  people,  in  their  dealings  with  me  and  with 
one  another,  seemed  animated  by  a  universal  desire  to 
do  kindly  acts  ;  and  the  only  possible  objection  against 
them  was  their  singular  love  of  darkness. 

My  freedom  was  absolute.  No  one  watched  me.  Al- 
mah and  I  could  go  where  we  chose.  So  far  as  I  could 
perceive,  we  were  quite  at  liberty,  if  we  wished,  to  take 
a  boat  and  escape  over  the  sea.  It  seemed  also  quite 
likely  that  if  we  had  ordered  out  a  galley  and  a  gang  of 
oarsmen,  we  should  have  been  supplied  with  all  that  we 
might  want  in  the  most  cheerful  manner.  Such  a 
thought,  however,  was  absurd.  Why  should  I  think  of 
flying? 

I  had  long  ago  lost  all  idea  of  time  ;  and  here,  Avhere 
it  was  for  the  present  perpetual  day,  I  was  more  at  a 
loss  than  ever.  I  supposed  that  it  was  somewhere  in 
the  month  of  March,  but  whether  at  the  beginning  or 
the  end  I  could  not  tell.  The  people  had  a  regular  sys- 
tem of  wake-time  and  sleep-time,  by  which  they  ordered 
their  lives  ;  but  whether  these  respective  times  were 
longer  or  shorter  than  the  days  and  nights  at  home  I 
could  not  tell  at  that  time,  though  I  afterwards  learned 
all  about  it.  On  the  whole,  I  was  perfectly  content — 
nay,  more,  perfectly  happy;  more  so,  indeed,  than  ever 
in  my  life,  and  quite  willing  to  forget  home  and  friends 
and  everything  in  the  society  of  Almah.  While  in  her 
company  there  was  always  one  purpose  upon  which  I 
was  most  intent,  and  that  was  to  master  the  language. 


90  A  Strange  Mamiscrijyt 

I  made  rapid  progress,  and  while  she  was  absent  I 
sought  out  others,  especially  the  Kohen,  with  whom  to 
practise.  The  Kohen  was  always  most  eager  to  aid  me 
in  every  conceivable  way  or  to  any  conceivable  thing  ; 
and  he  had  such  a  gentle  manner  and  showed  such  gen- 
erous qualities  that  I  soon  learned  to  regard  him  with 
positive  affection. 

Almah  was  always  absent  for  several  hours  after  I 
rose  in  the  morning,  and  when  she  made  her  appearance 
it  was  with  the  face  and  manner  of  one  who  had  re- 
turned from  some  unpleasant  task.  It  always  took  some 
time  for  her  to  regain  that  cheerfulness  which  she  usu- 
ally showed.  I  soon  felt  a  deep  curiosity  to  learn  the 
nature  of  her  employment  and  office  here,  and  as  my 
knowledge  of  the  language  increased  I  began  to  ques- 
tion her.  My  first  attempts  were  vain.  She  looked  at 
me  with  indescribable  mournfulness  and  shook  her  head. 
This,  however,  only  confirmed  me  in  my  suspicions  that 
her  duties,  whatever  they  might  be,  were  of  a  painful 
nature  ;  so  I  urged  her  to  tell  rae,  and  asked  her  as  well 
as  I  could  if  I  might  not  share  them  or  help  her  in  some 
way.  To  all  this,  however,  she  only  returned  sighs  and 
mournful  looks  for  an  answer.  It  seemed  to  me,  from 
her  manner  and  from  the  general  behavior  of  the  peo- 
ple, that  there  was  no  express  prohibition  on  my  learn- 
ing anything,  doing  anything,  or  going  anywhere  ;  and 
so,  after  this,  I  besought  her  to  let  me  accompany  her 
some  time.  But  this  too  she  refused.  My  requests  were 
often  made,  and  as  I  learned  more  and  more  of  the  lan- 
guage I  was  able  to  make  them  with  more  earnestness 
and  effect,  until  at  length  I  succeeded  in  overcoming 
her  objections. 

"  It  is  for  your  own  sake,"  said  she,  "  that  I  have  re- 
fused, Atam-or.  I  do  not  wish  to  lessen  your  happiness. 
But  you  must  know  all  soon  ;  and  so,  if  you  wish  to 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  91 

come  with  me  and  see  what  I  liave  to  do,  why,  you  may 
come  the  next  Jo;;i." 

This  meant  the  next  day,Jom  being  the  division  of 
time  corresponding  with  our  day.  At  this  promise  I 
was  so  full  of  gratitude  that  I  forgot  all  about  the  dark 
suggestiveness  of  her  words.  The  next  jom  I  arose 
sooner  than  usual  and  went  forth.  I  found  Almah  wait- 
ing for  me.  She  looked  troubled,  and  greeted  me  with 
a  mournful  smile. 

"  You  will  find  pain  in  this,"  said  she;  "  but  you  wish 
it,  and  if  you  still  wish  it,  why,  I  will  take  you  with 
me." 

At  this  I  only  persisted  the  moi'e,  and  so  we  set  forth. 
We  went  through  the  cavern  passages.  Few  people 
were  there;  all  seemed  asleep.  Then  we  w^ent  out-of- 
doors  and  came  into  the  full  blaze  of  that  day  w^hich 
here  knew  no  night,  but  prolonged  itself  into  months. 
For  a  while  Almah  stood  looking  forth  between  the 
trees  to  w^here  the  bright  sunlight  sparkled  on  the  sea, 
and  then  wath  a  sigh  she  turned  to  the  left.  I  followed. 
On  coming  to  the  next  portal  she  went  in.  I  followed, 
and  found  myself  in  a  rough  cavern,  dark  and  forbid- 
ding. Traversing  this  we  came  to  an  inner  doorway, 
closed  with  a  heavy  mat.  This  she  raised,  and  passed 
through,  while  I  went  in  after  her. 

I  found  myself  in  a  vast  cavern,  full  of  dim,  spark- 
ling lights,  which  served  not  to  illuminate  it,  but  mere- 
ly to  indicate  its  enormous  extent.  Far  above  rose  the 
vaulted  roof,  to  a  height  of  a2')parently  a  hundred  feet. 
Under  this  there  was  a  lofty  half-pyramid  with  stone 
steps.  All  around,  as  far  as  I  could  see  in  the  obscure 
light,  there  w^ere  niches  in  the  walls,  each  one  containing 
a  figure  w^ith  a  light  burning  at  its  feet.  I  took  them 
for  statues.  Almah  pointed  in  silence  to  one  of  these 
which  was  nearest,  and  I  went  up  close  so  as  to  see  it. 


92  A  Strange  Manuscript 

The  first  glance  that  I  took  made  mc  recoil  with  hor- 
ror. It  was  no  statue  that  I  saw  in  that  niche,  but  a 
shrivelled  human  form — a  hideous  sight.  It  was  dark 
and  dried;  it  was  fixed  in  a  sitting  posture,  with  its  hands 
resting  on  its  knees,  and  its  hollow  eyes  looking  for- 
ward. On  its  head  was  the  mockery  of  a  wreath  of  flow- 
ers, while  from  its  heart  there  projected  the  handle  and 
half  of  the  blade  of  a  knife  which  had  been  thrust  there. 
"What  was  the  meaning  of  this  knife  ?  It  seemed  to 
tell  of  a  violent  death.  Yet  the  flowers  must  surely  be 
a  mark  of  honor.  A  violent  death  with  honor,  and  the 
embalmed  remains — these  things  suggested  nothing  else 
than  the  horrid  thought  of  a  human  sacrifice.  I  looked 
away  with  eager  and  terrible  curiosity.  I  saw  all  the 
niches,  hundreds  upon  hundreds,  all  filled  with  these 
fearful  occupants.  I  turned  again  with  a  sinking  heart 
to  Almah.     Her  face  was  full  of  anguish. 

"  This  is  my  duty,"  said  she.  *'  Every  jom  I  must 
come  here  and  crown  these  victims  with  fresh  flowers." 

A  feeling  of  sickening  horror  overwhelmed  me.  Al- 
mah had  spoken  these  words  and  stood  looking  at  me 
with  a  face  of  woe.  This,  then,  was  that  daily  task 
from  which  she  was  wont  to  return  in  such  sadness — 
an  abhorrent  task  to  her,  and  one  to  which  familiarity 
had  never  reconciled  her.  What  was  she  doing  here  ? 
What  dark  fate  was  it  that  thus  bound  this  child  of 
light  to  these  children  of  darkness  ?  or  why  was  she 
thus  compelled  to  perform  a  service  from  which  all  her 
nature  revolted  ?  I  read  in  her  face  at  this  moment  a 
horror  equal  to  my  own;  and  at  the  sight  of  her  dis- 
tress my  own  was  lessened,  and  there  arose  within  me  a 
profound  symjDathy  and  a  strong  desire  to  do  something 
to  alleviate  her  misery. 

"  This  is  no  place  for  you,"  continued  Almah.  "  Go, 
and  I  will  soon  join  you." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  93 

"  No,"  said  I,  using  her  language  after  my  own  broken 
fashion — "  no,  I  will  not  go — I  will  stay,  I  will  help,  if 
you  will  permit." 

She  looked  at  me  earnestly,  and  seemed  to  see  that 
my  resolution  was  firmly  fixed,  and  that  I  was  not  to  be 
dissuaded  from  it. 

"  Very  well,"  said  she;  "  if  you  do  stay  and  help  me, 
it  will  be  a  great  relief." 

"With  these  simple  words  she  proceeded  to  carry  out 
her  work.  At  the  foot  of  the  pyramid  there  was  a  heap 
of  wreaths  made  out  of  fresh  flowers,  and  these  were 
to  be  placed  by  her  on  the  heads  of  the  embalmed 
corpses. 

"This  work,"  said  she,  "is  considered  here  the  high- 
est and  most  honorable  that  can  be  performed.  It  is 
given  to  me  out  of  kindness,  and  they  cannot  under- 
stand that  I  can  have  any  other  feelings  in  the  perform- 
ance than  those  of  joy  and  exultation — here  among  the 
dead  and  in  the  dark." 

I  said  nothing,  but  followed  and  watched  her,  carry- 
ing the  wreaths  and  supplying  her.  She  went  to  each 
niche  in  succession,  and  after  taking  the  wreath  off 
each  corpse  she  placed  a  fresh  one  on,  saying  a  brief 
formula  at  each  act.  By  keeping  her  supplied  with 
wreaths  I  was  able  to  lighten  her  task,  so  much  so  that, 
whereas  it  usually  occupied  her  more  than  two  hours, 
on  the  present  occasion  it  was  finished  in  less  than 
half  an  hour.  She  informed  me  that  those  which  she 
crowned  were  the  corpses  of  men  who  had  been  sacri- 
ficed during  the  present  season — by  season  meaning  the 
six  months  of  light;  and  that  though  many  more  were 
here,  yet  they  wore  crowns  of  gold.  At  the  end  of  ten 
years  they  were  removed  to  public  sepulchres.  The 
number  of  those  which  had  to  be  crowned  by  her  was 
about  a  hundred.     Her  work  was  only  to  crown  them, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  95 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE    SACKED    HUNT. 

On  that  yeryjom  the  Kohen  informed  me  that  they 
were  about  to  set  forth  on  the  "  sacred  Imnt,"  an  event 
•which  always  occurred  towards  the  end  of  the  season, 
and  he  kindly  invited  me  to  go,  I,  eager  to  find  any 
relief  from  the  horrible  thoughts  that  had  taken  pos- 
session of  me,  and  full  of  longing  for  active  exertion,  at 
once  accepted  the  invitation.  I  was  delighted  to  hear 
Almah  say  that  she  too  was  going;  and  I  learned  at  the 
same  time  that  in  this  strange  land  the  women  were  as 
fond  of  hunting  as  the  men,  and  that  on  such  occasions 
their  presence  was  expected. 

The  sacred  hunt  was  certainly  a  strange  one.  I  saw 
that  it  was  to  take  place  on  the  water;  for  a  great 
crowd,  numbering  over  a  hundred,  went  down  to  the 
harbor  and  embarked  on  board  a  galley,  on  which  there 
were  a  hundred  others,  who  served  as  rowers.  The 
hunters  were  all  armed  with  long,  light  javelins  and 
short  swords.  Some  of  these  were  offered  to  me,  for  as 
yet  no  one  supposed  that  my  rifle  and  pistol  were  instru- 
ments of  destruction,  or  anything  else  than  ornaments. 
My  refusal  to  accept  their  weapons  created  some  sur- 
prise, but  with  their  usual  civility  they  did  not  press 
their  offers  further.  It  was  evident  that  this  hunting 
expedition  was  only  made  in  obedience  to  some  hallowed 
custom;  for  the  light  of  the  sun  pained  their  eyes,  and 
all  their  movements  were  made  with  uncertainty  and 
hesitation.     With  these  a  hunt  by  sunlight  is  the  same 


96  A  Strange  Manuscript 

as  a  hunt  by  night  would  be  with  us.     There  was  the 
same  confusion  and  awkwardness. 

The  Kohen  was  in  command.  At  his  word  the  galley 
started,  and  the  rowers  pulled  out  to  sea  with  long,  regu- 
lar strokes.  I  was  anxious  to  know  what  the  expedition 
was  aimed  at,  and  what  were  the  animals  that  we  ex- 
pected to  get;  but  I  could  not  make  out  Almah's  ex- 
planations. Her  words  suggested  something  of  vague 
terror,  vast  proportions,  and  indescribable  ferocity;  but 
my  ignorance  of  the  language  prevented  me  from  learn- 
ing anything  more. 

We  went  along  the  coast  for  a  few  miles,  and  then 
came  to  the  mouth  of  a  great  river,  which  seemed  to 
flow  from  among  the  mountains.  The  current  was  ex- 
ceedingly swift,  and  as  I  looked  back  it  seemed  to  me 
that  it  must  be  the  very  stream  which  had  borne  me 
here  into  this  remote  world.  I  afterwards  found  out 
that  this  was  so — that  this  stream  emerges  from  among 
the  mountains,  flowing  from  an  unknown  source.  It 
was  over  this  that  I  had  been  borne  in  my  sleep,  after  I 
had  emerged  from  the  subterranean  darkness,  and  it  was 
by  this  current  that  I  had  been  carried  into  the  open 
sea.  As  we  crossed  the  estuary  of  this  river  I  saw  that 
the  shores  on  either  side  were  low,  and  covered  with  the 
rankest  vegetation;  giant  trees  of  fern,  vast  reeds  and 
grasses,  all  arose  here  in  a  dense  growth  impassable  to 
man.  Upon  the  shallow  shores  the  surf  was  breaking; 
and  here  in  the  tide  I  saw  objects  which  I  at  first  sup- 
posed to  be  rocks,  but  afterwards  found  out  to  be  living 
things.  They  looked  like  alligators,  but  were  far  larger 
than  the  largest  alligators  known  to  us,  besides  being  of 
far  more  terrific  aspect.  Towards  these  the  galley  was 
directed,  and  I  now  saw  with  surprise  that  these  were 
the  objects  of  the  sacred  hunt. 

Suddenly,  as  the  galley  was  moving  along  at  half- 


Found  in  a   Copinr  Cylinder.  97 

speed,  there  arose  out  of  the  water  a  thing  that  looked 
like  the  folds  of  a  giant  hairy  serpent,  which,  however, 
proved  to  be  the  long  neck  of  an  incredible  monster, 
whose  immense  body  soon  afterwards  appeared  above 
the  M'ater.  With  huge  fins  he  propelled  himself  towards 
us;  and  his  head,  twenty  feet  in  the  air,  was  poised  as 
though  about  to  attack.  The  head  was  like  that  of  an 
alligator,  the  open  jaws  showed  a  fearful  array  of  sharp 
teeth,  the  eyes  were  fiercely  glowing,  the  long  neck  was 
covered  with  a  coarse,  shaggy  mane,  while  the  top  of 
the  body,  which  was  out  of  the  water,  was  incased  in  an 
impenetrable  cuirass  of  bone.  Such  a  monster  as  this 
seemed  unassailable,  especially  by  men  who  had  no  mis- 
sile weapons,  and  whose  eyes  were  so  dim  and  weak. 
I  therefore  expected  that  the  galley  would  turn  and  fly 
from  the  attack,  for  the  monster  itself  seemed  as  large 
as  our  vessel;  but  there  was  not  the  slightest  thought 
of  flight.  On  the  contrary,  every  man  was  on  the  alert; 
some  sprang  to  the  bow  and  stood  there,  awaiting  the 
first  shock;  others,  amidship,  stood  waiting  for  the  or- 
ders of  the  Kohen.  Meanwhile  the  monster  approached, 
and  at  length,  with  a  sweep  of  his  long  neck,  came  down 
upon  the  dense  crowd  at  the  bows.  A  dozen  frail  lances 
were  broken  against  his  horny  head,  a  half  dozen 
wretches  were  seized  and  terribly  torn  by  those  re- 
morseless jaws.  Still  none  fled.  All  rushed  forward, 
and  witli  lances,  axes,  knives,  and  ropes  they  sought  to 
destroy  the  enemy.  Numbers  of  them  strove  to  seize 
his  long  neck.  In  the  ardor  of  the  fight  the  rowers 
dropped  their  oars  and  hurried  to  the  scene,  to  take  part 
in  the  struggle.  The  slaughter  was  sickening,  but  not 
a  man  quailed.  Never  had  I  dreamed  of  such  blind  and 
desperate  courage  as  was  now  displayed  before  my  hor- 
ror-stricken eyes.  Each  sought  to  outdo  the  other. 
They  had  managed  to  throw  ropes  around  the  monster's 
5 


98  A  Strange  Mamcscrijit 

neck,  by  which  he  was  held  close  to  the  galley.  His 
fierce  movements  seemed  likely  to  drag  us  all  down 
under  the  water;  and  his  long  neck,  free  from  restraint, 
Avrithed  and  twisted  among  the  struggling  crowd  of 
fighting  men,  in  the  midst  of  whom  was  the  Koben,  as 
desperate  and  as  fearless  as  any. 

All  this  had  taken  place  in  a  very  short  space  of  time, 
and  I  had  scarce  been  able  to  comprehend  the  full  mean- 
ing of  it  all.  As  for  Almah,  she  stood  pale  and  trem- 
bling, with  a  face  of  horror.  At  last  it  seemed  to  me 
that  every  man  of  them  would  be  destroyed,  and  that 
they  were  all  throwing  their  lives  away  to  no  jjurposc 
whatever.  Above  all,  my  heart  was  wrung  for  the  Ko- 
ben, who  was  there  in  the  midst  of  his  people,  lifting 
his  frail  and  puny  arm  against  the  monster.  I  could 
endure  inaction  no  longer.  I  had  brought  my  arms 
with  me,  as  usual ;  and  now,  as  the  monster  raised  his 
head,  I  took  aim  at  his  eye  and  fired.  The  report  rang 
out  in  thunder.  Almah  gave  a  shriek,  and  amid  the 
smoke  I  saw  the  long,  snakelike  neck  of  the  monster 
sweeping  about  madly  among  the  men.  In  the  water 
his  vast  tail  was  lashing  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and 
churning  it  into  foam.  Here  I  once  more  took  aim 
immediately  under  the  fore-fin,  where  there  was  no 
scaly  covering.  Once  more  I  fired.  This  time  it  was 
with  fatal  effect ;  for  after  one  or  two  convulsive  move- 
ments the  monster,  with  a  low,  deep  bellow,  let  his 
head  fall  and  gasped  out  his  life. 

I  hurried  forward.  There  lay  the  frightful  head,  with 
its  long  neck  and  shaggy  mane,  while  all  around  was  a 
hideous  spectacle.  The  destruction  of  life  had  been  aw- 
ful. Nineteen  were  dead,  and  twenty-eight  were  Avound- 
ed,  writhing  in  every  gradation  of  agony,  some  horribly 
mangled.  The  rest  stood  staring  at  me  in  astonish- 
ment, not  understanding  those  peals  of  thunder  that 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  99 

bad  laid  the  monster  low.  There  was  no  terror  or  awe, 
however — nothing  more  than  surprise;  and  the  Kohen, 
whose  clothes  were  torn  into  shreds  and  covered  with 
blood,  looked  at  me  in  bewilderment.  I  said  to  him, 
out  of  my  small  stock  of  words,  that  the  wounded  ought 
at  once  to  be  cared  for.  At  this  he  turned  away  and 
made  some  remarks  to  his  men. 

I  now  stood  ready  to  lend  my  own  services,  if  need- 
ful. I  expected  to  take  a  part  in  the  tender  attentions 
which  were  the  due  of  these  gallant  souls,  who  had  ex- 
hibited such  matchless  valor ;  these  men  who  thought 
nothing  of  life,  but  flung  it  away  at  the  command  of 
their  chief  without  dreaming  of  flight  or  of  hesitation. 
Thus  I  stood  looking  on  in  an  expectant  attitude,  when 
there  came  a  moment  in  which  I  was  simply  petrified 
with  horror  ;  for  the  Kohen  drew  his  knife,  stooped  over 
the  wounded  man  nearest  him,  and  then  stabbed  him 
to  the  heart  with  a  mortal  wound.  The  others  all  pro- 
ceeded to  do  the  same,  and  they  did  it  in  the  coolest 
and  most  business-like  manner,  without  any  passion, 
without  any  feeling  of  any  kind,  and,  indeed,  with  a  cer- 
tain air  of  gratification,  as  though  they  were  perform- 
ing some  peculiarly  high  and  sacred  duty.  The  mildness 
and  benevolence  of  their  faces  seemed  actually  height- 
ened, and  the  perpetration  of  this  unutterable  atrocity 
seemed  to  affect  these  people  in  the  same  way  in  which 
the  performance  of  acts  of  humanity  might  affect  us. 

For  my  own  part,  I  stood  for  a  few  moments  actually 
motionless  from  perplexity  and  horror;  then,  with  a 
shriek,  I  rushed  forward  as  if  to  prevent  it ;  but  I  was 
too  late.  The  unutterable  deed  was  done,  and  the  un- 
fortunate wounded,  without  an  exception,  lay  dead  be- 
side their  slain  companions.  As  for  myself,  I  was  only 
regarded  with  fresh  wonder,  and  they  all  stood  blink- 
ing at  me  with  their  half -closed  eyes.     Suddenly  the 


100  A  Strange  Manuscript 

Kolicn  fell  prostrate  on  his  knees  before  me,  and  bowing 
his  head  handed  me  his  bloody  knife. 

"Atam-or,"  said  he,  "give  me  also  the  blessing  of 
darkness  and  death !" 

At  these  strange  words,  following  such  actions,  I  could 
say  nothing.  I  was  more  bewildered  than  ever,  and 
horror  and  bewilderment  made  me  dumb.  I  turned 
away  and  went  aft  to  Almah,  who  had  seen  it  all.  She 
looked  at  me  with  an  anxious  gaze,  as  if  to  learn  Avhat 
the  effect  of  all  this  had  been  on  me.  I  could  not  speak 
a  word,  but  with  a  vague  sense  of  the  necessity  of  self- 
preservation,  I  loaded  my  rifle,  and  tried  in  vain  to  make 
out  what  might  be  the  meaning  of  this  union  of  gentle- 
ness and  kindness  with  atrocious  cruelty.  Meanwhile, 
the  men  all  went  to  work  upon  various  tasks.  Some 
secured  lines  about  the  monster  so  as  to  tow  it  astern  ; 
others  busied  themselves  with  the  corpses,  collecting 
them  and  arranging  them  in  rows.  At  length  we  re- 
turned, towing  the  monster  astern. 

I  could  not  speak  until  I  was  back  again  in  the  lighted 
rooms  and  alone  with  Almah ;  then  I  told  her,  as  well 
as  I  could,  the  horror  that  I  felt. 

"  It  was  honor  to  those  brave  men,"  said  she. 

"  Honor !"  said  I.     "  What !  to  kill  them  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  it  is  so  with  these  people ;  with 
them  death  is  the  highest  blessing.  They  all  love  death 
and  seek  after  it.  To  die  for  another  is  immortal  glory. 
To  kill  the  wounded,  was  to  show  that  they  had  died 
for  others.  The  wounded  wished  it  themselves.  You 
saw  how  they  all  sought  after  death.  These  people 
wei*e  too  generous  and  kind-hearted  to  refuse  to  kill 
them  after  they  had  received  wounds." 

At  this  my  perplexity  grew  deeper  than  ever,  for 
such  an  explanation  as  this  only  served  to  make  the 
mystery  greater. 


Found  in  a  Cojyper  Cylinder.  101 

"  Here,"  said  she,  "  no  one  understands  wliat  it  is  to 
fear  death.  They  all  love  it  and  long  for  it ;  but  every- 
one wishes  above  all  to  die  for  others.  This  is  their 
hio^hest  blessincf.  To  die  a  natural  death  in  bed  is 
avoided  if  possible." 

All  this  "vvas  incomprehensible. 

"  Tell  me,  Almah,"  I  said — "  you  hate  darkness  as  I 
do — do  you  not  fear  death?" 

"  I  fear  it  above  all  things,"  said  Almah.  "  To  me 
it  is  the  horror  of  life  ;  it  is  the  chief  of  terrors." 

"  So  it  is  with  me,"  said  I.  "  In  my  country  we  call 
death  the  King  of  Terrors." 

«  Here,"  said  Almah,  "  they  call  death  the  Lord  of 
Joy." 

Xot  long  after,  the  Kohcn  came  in,  looking  as  quiet, 
as  gentle,  and  as  amiable  as  ever.  He  showed  some 
curiosity  about  my  rifle,  which  he  called  a  sepet-ram, 
or  "  rod  of  thunder."  Almah  also  showed  curiosity, 
I  did  not  care  to  explain  the  process  of  loading  it  to 
the  Kohen,  though  Almah  had  seen  me  load  it  in  the 
galley,  and  I  left  him  to  suppose  that  it  was  used  in 
some  mysterious  Avay.  I  cautioned  him  not  to  handle 
it  carelessly,  but  found  that  this  caution  only  made  him 
the  more  eager  to  handle  it,  since  the  prospect  of  an 
accident  found  an  irresistible  attraction.  I  would  not 
let  it  go  out  of  my  own  hands,  however ;  and  the  Ko- 
hen, whose  self-denial  Avas  always  most  wonderful  to 
me,  at  once  checked  his  curiosity. 


102  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE    SWAMP    MONSTER. 

A  'F'E'w  joms  after,  I  was  informed  by  the  Kohen  that 
there  was  to  be  another  sacred  hunt.  At  first  I  felt 
inclined  to  refuse,  but  on  learning  that  Almah  was  going, 
I  resolved  to  go  also  ;  for  Almah,  though  generally  mis- 
tress of  her  actions,  had  nevertheless  certain  duties  to 
perform,  and  among  these  Avas  the  necessity  of  accom- 
panying hunting-parties,  I  did  not  yet  understand  her 
position  here,  nor  had  I  heard  from  her  yet  how  it  was 
that  she  was  so  different  from  the  rest  of  them.  That 
was  all  to  be  learned  at  a  future  time.  For  the  present 
I  had  to  be  satisfied  with  knowing  that  she  belonged 
to  a  different  nation,  who  spoke  a  different  language, 
and  that  all  her  thoughts  and  feelings  were  totally  dif- 
ferent from  those  of  the  people  among  whom  she  was 
living.  She  loved  the  light,  she  feared  death,  and  she 
had  never  been  able  in  the  slightest  degree  to  reconcile 
herself  to  the  habits  of  these  people.  This  I  could  read- 
ily understand,  for  to  me  it  seemed  as  though  they  lived 
in  opposition  to  nature  itself. 

We  went  out  into  the  daylight,  and  then  I  saw  a  sight 
which  filled  me  with  amazement.  I  saw  a  flock  of  birds 
larger  than  even  the  opkuks.  They  were  called  "op- 
mahera."  They  seemed  as  tall  as  giraffes,  and  their 
long  legs  indicated  great  powers  of  running.  Their 
wings  were  very  short,  and  not  adapted  for  flight.  They 
were  very  tractable,  and  were  harnessed  for  riding  in  a 
peculiar  way  ;  lines  like  reins  were  fastened  to  the  wings, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  103 

aud  the  driver,  who  sat  close  by  the  neck,  guided  the 
bird  in  this  way.  Each  bird  carried  two  men,  but  for 
Almah  and  me  there  was  a  bird  apiece.  An  iron  prod 
was  also  taken  by  each  driver  as  a  spur,  I  did  not  find 
out  until  afterwards  how  to  drive.  At  that  time  the 
prospect  of  so  novel  a  ride  was  such  an  exciting  one 
that  I  forgot  everything  else.  The  birds  seemed  quiet 
and  docile.  I  took  it  for  granted  that  mine  was  well 
trained,  and  would  go  with  the  others  of  his  own  ac- 
cord. We  all  mounted  by  means  of  a  stone  platform 
which  stood  by  the  pyramid,  and  soon  were  on  our  way. 
The  speed  was  amazing  ;  the  fastest  race-horse  at 
home  is  slow  compared  with  this.  It  was  as  swift  as  an 
ordinary  railway  train,  if  not  more  so.  For  some  min- 
utes the  novelty  of  my  situation  took  away  all  other 
thoughts,  and  I  held  the  reins  in  my  hands  without 
knowing  how  to  use  them.  But  this  mattered  not,  for 
the  well  -  trained  bird  kept  on  after  the  others,  while 
Almah  on  her  bird  was  close  behind  me.  The  pace,  as 
I  said,  was  tremendous,  yet  no  easier  motion  can  be  im- 
agined. The  bird  bounded  along  with  immense  leaps, 
with  wings  outstretched,  but  its  feet  touched  the  ground 
so  lightly  that  the  motion  seemed  almost  equal  to  flying, 
AVe  did  not  confine  ourselves  to  the  roads,  for  the  birds 
were  capable  of  going  over  any  kind  of  a  country  in 
a  straight  line.  On  this  occasion  we  passed  over  wide 
fields  and  rocky  mountain  ridges  and  deep  swamps  and 
sand  wastes  at  the  same  speed,  until  at  length  we 
reached  a  vast  forest  of  dense  tree-ferns,  where  the 
whole  band  stopped  for  a  short  time,  after  which  we 
took  up  a  new  direction,  moving  on  more  slowly.  The 
forest  grew  up  out  of  a  swamp,  which  extended  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach  from  the  sea  to  the  mountains. 
Along  the  edge  of  this  forest  we  went  for  some  time, 
until  at  length  there  came  a  rushing,  crackling  sound,  as 


104  A  Strange  Manuscript 

of  something  moving  there  among  the  trees,  crushing 
down  everything  in  its  progress.  We  halted,  and  did 
not  have  to  wait  long  ;  for  soon,  not  far  away,  there 
emerged  from  the  thick  forest  a  figure  of  incredible  size 
and  most  hideous  aspect. 

It  looked  like  one  of  those  fabled  dragons  such  as  may 
be  seen  in  pictures,  but  without  wings.  It  was  nearly  a 
hundred  feet  in  length,  with  a  stout  body  and  a  long 
tail,  covered  all  over  with  impenetrable  scales.  Its  hind- 
legs  were  rather  longer  than  its  fore-legs,  and  it  moved 
its  huge  body  with  ease  and  rapiditj^  Its  feet  were 
armed  with  formidable  claws.  But  its  head  Avas  most 
terrific.  It  was  a  vast  mass  of  bone,  with  enormous  eyes 
that  glared  like  fire ;  its  jaws  opened  to  the  width  of 
six  or  eight  feet,  and  were  furnished  with  rows  of  sharp 
teeth,  while  at  the  extremity  of  its  nose  there  was  a  tusk 
several  feet  long,  like  the  horn  of  a  rhinoceros,  curving 
backward.  All  this  I  took  in  at  the  first  glance,  and  the 
next  instant  the  whole  band  of  hunters,  with  their  usual 
recklessness,  flung  themselves  upon  the  monster. 

For  a  short  time  all  was  the  wildest  confusion — an 
intermingling  of  birds  and  men,  with  the  writhing  and 
roaring  beast.  With  his  huge  claws  and  his  curved 
horn  and  his  wide  jaAVS  he  dealt  death  and  destruction 
all  around  ;  yet  still  the  assailants  kept  at  their  w^ork. 
Many  leaped  down  to  the  ground  and  rushed  close  up 
to  the  monster,  thrusting  their  lances  into  the  softer  and 
more  unprotected  parts  of  his  body  ;  while  others,  guid- 
ing their  birds  with  marvellous  dexterity,  assailed  him 
on  all  sides.  The  birds,  too,  were  kept  well  to  their 
work ;  nor  did  they  exhibit  any  fear.  It  was  not  until 
they  were  wounded  that  they  sought  to  ^y.  Still,  the 
contest  seemed  too  unequal.  The  sacrifice  of  life  Avas 
horrible.  I  saw  men  and  birds  literally  torn  to  pieces 
before  my  eyes.     Nevertheless,  the  utter  fearlessness  of 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  105 

the  assailants  confounded  me.  In  spite  of  the  slaugh- 
ter, fresh  crowds  rushed  on,  Tliey  clambered  over  his 
back,  and  strove  to  drive  their  lances  under  his  bony- 
cuirass.  In  the  midst  of  them  I  saw  the  Kohen.  By 
some  means  he  had  reached  the  animal's  back,  and  was 
crawling  along,  holding  by  the  coarse  shaggy  mane. 
At  length  he  stopped,  and  with  a  sudden  effort  thrust 
his  lance  into  the  monster's  eye.  The  vast  beast  gave 
a  low  and  terrible  howl  ;  his  immense  tail  went  flying 
all  about  ;  in  his  pain  he  rolled  over  and  over,  crushing 
underneath  him  in  his  awful  struggles  all  who  were 
nearest.  I  could  no  longer  be  inactive.  I  raised  my 
rifle,  and  as  the  beast  in  his  writhings  exposed  his  belly 
I  took  aim  at  the  soft  flesh  just  inside  his  left  fore-leg, 
and  fired  both  barrels. 

At  that  instant  my  bird  gave  a  wild,  shrill  scream  and 
a  vast  bound  into  the  air,  and  then  away  it  went  like  the 
wind — away,  I  knew  not  "where.  That  first  bound  had 
nearly  jerked  me  off";  but  I  managed  to  avoid  this,  and 
now  instinctively  clung  wnth  all  my  might  to  the  bird's 
neck,  still  holding  my  rifle.  The  speed  of  the  bird  w\as 
twice  as  great  as  it  had  been  before — as  the  sj^eed  of  a 
runaway  horse  surpasses  that  of  the  same  horse  when 
trotting  at  his  ordinary  rate  and  under  control.  I 
could  scarcely  make  out  where  I  was  going.  Rocks, 
hills,  swamps,  fields,  trees,  sand,  and  sea  all  seemed  to 
flash  past  in  one  confused  assemblage,  and  the  only 
thought  in  my  mind  was  that  I  was  being  carried  to 
some  remote  wilderness,  to  be  flung  there  bruised  and 
maimed  among  the  rocks,  to  perish  helplessly.  Every 
moment  I  expected  to  be  thrown,  for  the  progress  of 
the  bird  was  not  only  inconceivably  swift,  but  it  also 
gave  immense  leaps  into  the  air ;  and  it  was  only  its 
easy  mode  of  lighting  on  the  ground  after  each  leap 
that  saved  me  from  being  hurled  off.  As  it  was,  how- 
5* 


106  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ever,  I  clung  instinctively  to  the  bird's  neck,  until  at 
last  it  came  to  a  stop  so  suddenly  that  my  hands  slipped, 
and  I  fell  to  the  ground. 

I  Avas  senseless  for  I  know  not  how  long.     When  at 
last  I  revived  I  found  myself  propped  up  against  a  bank, 
and  Alraah  bathing  my  head  with  cold  water.     Fortu- 
nately, I  had  received  no  hurt.     In  falling  I  had  struck 
on  my  head,  but  it  was  against  the  soft  turf,  and  though 
I  was  stunned,  yet  on  regaining  my  senses  no  further 
inconvenience  was  exi:)erienced.    The  presence  of  Almah 
was  soon  explained.     The  report  of  the  rifle  had  startled 
her  bird  also,  which  had  bounded  away  in  terror  like 
mine  ;  but  Alraah  understood  how  to  guide  hira,  and 
managed  to  keep  him  after  me,  so  as  to  be  of  assistance 
in  case  of  need.     She  had  been  close  behind  all  the  time, 
and  had  stopped  when  I  fell,  and  come  to  my  assistance. 
The  place  M'as  a  slope  looking  out  upon  an  arm  of  the 
sea,  and  apparently  remote  from  human  abode.     The 
scenery  was  exquisitely  beautiful.     A  little  distance  off 
we  saw  the  edge  of  the  forest ;  the  open  country  was 
dotted  with  clumps  of  trees ;  on  the  other  side  of  the 
arm  of  the  sea  was  an  easy  declivity  covered  with  trees 
of  luxuriant  foliage  and  vast  dimensions  ;  farther  away 
on  one  side  rose  the  icy  summits  of  impassable  moun- 
tains ;  on  the  other  side  there  extended  the  blue  expanse 
of  the  boundless  sea.     The  spot  where  I  lay  was  over- 
shadowed by  the  dense  foliage  of  a  tree  which  was  un- 
like anything  that  I  had  ever  seen,  and  seemed  like  some 
exaggerated  grass  ;  at  our  feet  a  brook  ran  murmuring 
to  the  shore  ;  in  the  air  and  all  around  were  innumer- 
able birds. 

The  situation  in  which  I  found  myself  seemed  inex- 
pressibly sweet,  and  all  the  more  so  from  the  gentle  face 
of  Almah.  AVould  it  not  be  well,  I  thought,  to  remain 
here  ?    Why  should  Almah  go  back  to  her  repulsive  du- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  107 

ties  ?  Why  should  wc  return  to  those  children  of  blood, 
who  loved  death  and  darkness  ?  Here  we  might  pass 
our  days  together  unmolested.  The  genial  climate 
would  afford  us  warmth  ;  we  needed  no  shelter  except 
the  trees,  and  as  for  food,  there  were  the  birds  of  the  air 
in  innumerable  flocks. 

I  proposed  this  to  her  ;  she  smiled  sadly.  "  You  for- 
get," said  she,  "this  season  of  light  will  not  last  much 
longer.  In  a  few  more  Joms  the  dai-k  season  will  begin, 
and  then  we  should  perish  in  a  place  like  this." 

"  Are  there  no  caverns  here  ?" 

"  Oh,  no.  This  country  has  no  inhabitants.  It  is  full 
of  fierce  wild  beasts.  We  should  be  destroyed  before 
one  Jo;?i." 

"  But  must  we  go  back  ?"  said  I.  "  You  have  a  coun- 
try. W^here  is  it  ?  See,  here  are  these  birds.  They 
are  swift.  They  can  carry  us  anywhere.  Come,  let  us 
fly,  and  you  can  return  to  your  own  country." 

Almah  shook  her  head.  *'  These  birds,"  said  she, 
"  cannot  go  over  the  sea,  or  through  these  endless  for- 
ests.    My  country  can  only  be  reached  by  sea," 

"Can  we  not  hurry  back,  seize  a  boat,  and  go?  I 
know  how  to  sail  over  the  water  without  oars." 

"  We  certainly  might  leave  the  coxmtry  ;  but  there  is 
another  difliculty.  The  dark  season  is  coming,  and  we 
should  never  be  able  to  find  our  way.  Besides,  the  sea 
is  full  of  monsters,  and  you  and  I  will  perish." 

"  At  any  rate,  let  us  try.     I  have  my  se2?et-ram." 

"  We  could  never  find  our  way." 

"  Only  tell  me,"  said  I,  "  where  it  lies,  and  I  will  go 
by  the  stars." 

"  The  trouble  is,"  said  she,  "  that  even  if  we  did  suc- 
ceed in  reaching  my  land,  I  should  be  sent  back  again  ; 
for  I  was  sent  here  as  a  sacred  hostage,  and  I  have  been 
here  four  seasons." 


108  A  Strange  Mamiscrijit 

But  in  the  midst  of  this  conversation  a  sound  arrested 
our  attention — a  heavy,  puffing,  snorting  sound,  as  of 
some  living  thing.  Hastily  I  started  up,  rifle  in  hand, 
and  looked  ;  and  as  I  looked  I  felt  my  nerves  thrill  with 
horror.  There,  close  by  the  shore,  I  saw  a  vast  form — a 
living  thing — full  sixty  feet  in  length.  It  had  a  body 
like  that  of  an  elephant,  the  head  of  a  crocodile,  and 
enormous  glaring  eyes.  Its  immense  body  was  covered 
with  impenetrable  armor,  and  was  supported  on  legs 
long  enough  to  allow  it  to  run  with  great  speed.  It 
differed  in  many  respects  from  the  monster  of  the  swamp 
— the  legs  being  longer,  the  tail  shorter  and  thinner,  and 
its  head  and  jaws  larger  and  longer.  I  shrank  back, 
thinking  of  seizing  Almah  and  hiding.  But  I  saw  that 
she  had  already  taken  the  alarm,  and  with  more  pres- 
ence of  mind  than  I  had  she  had  hurried  to  the  birds, 
who  were  standing  near,  and  had  made  them  lie  down. 
As  I  turned,  she  beckoned  to  me  without  a  word.  I 
hurried  to  her.  She  told  me  to  mount.  I  did  so  at 
once  ;  she  did  the  same.  Scarce  had  we  mounted  than 
±he  monster  perceived  us,  and  with  a  terrible  bellow 
came  rushing  towards  us.  Almah  drove  her  goad  deep 
into  her  bird,  which  at  once  rose  and  went  off  like  the 
wind,  and  mine  started  to  follow.  The  vast  monster 
came  on.  His  roar  sounded  close  behind,  and  I  heard 
the  clash  of  his  tremendous  jaws  ;  but  the  swift  bird 
with  a  bound  snatched  me  from  his  grasp,  and  bore  me 
far  away  out  of  his  reach.  Away  I  went  like  the  wind. 
Almah  was  ahead,  looking  back  from  time  to  time,  and 
waving  her  hand  joyously.  So  we  went  on,  returning 
on  our  course  at  a  speed  almost  as  great  as  that  with 
which  we  had  come.  By  this  time  the  novelty  had  in 
part  worn  away,  and  the  easy  motion  gave  me  confidence. 
I  noticed  that  we  were  travelling  a  wild,  uninhabited,  and 
rocky  district  by  the  sea-side.     Before  me  the  country 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  109 

spread  far  away,  interspersed  with  groves,  terminating 
in  forests,  and  bounded  in  the  far  distance  by  mountains. 
The  country  here  was  so  rough  that  it  seemed  as  if 
nothing  could  pass  over  it  except  such  creatures  as  these 
— the  opmaheras. 

At  length  we  arrived  at  the  sj^ot  which  we  had  left — 
the  scene  of  the  hunt.  Wc  could  see  it  from  afar,  for 
the  opmaheras  stood  quietly  around,  and  the  men  were 
busy  elsewhere.  As  we  drew  nearer  I  saw  the  vast 
body  of  the  monster.  They  had  succeeded  in  killing  it, 
yet — oh  heavens,  at  what  a  cost !  One  half  of  all  the 
party  lay  dead.  The  rest  Avere  unharmed,  and  among 
these  was  the  Kohen.  He  greeted  me  with  a  melan- 
choly smile.  That  melancholy  smile,  however,  was  not 
caused  by  the  sad  fate  of  his  brave  companions,  but,  as 
I  afterwards  learned,  simply  and  solely  because  he  him- 
self had  not  gained  his  death.  When  I  saw  that  there 
were  no  wounded,  a  dark  suspicion  came  over  me  that 
the  wounded  had  again  been  put  to  death.  I  did  not 
care  to  ask.  The  truth  was  too  terrible  to  hear,  and 
I  felt  glad  that  accident  had  drawn  me  away.  It 
was  all  a  dark  and  dreadful  mystery.  These  people 
were  the  most  gentle,  the  most  self-sacrificing,  and  the 
most  generous  in  the  Avorld  ;  yet  their  strange  and  un- 
natural love  of  death  made  them  capable  of  endless 
atrocities.  Life  and  light  seemed  to  them  as  actual 
evils,  and  death  and  darkness  the  only  things  worthy 
of  regard. 

Almah  told  me  that  they  were  going  to  bring  the 
monster  home,  and  had  sent  for  opkuks  to  drag  it  along. 
The  dead  were  also  to  be  fetched  back.  There  was  no 
further  necessity  for  us  to  remain,  and  so  we  returned 
at  once. 

On  the  way,  Almah  said,  "  Do  not  use  the  sepet-ram 
again.     You  can  do  no  good  with  it.     You  must  not 


110  A  Strange  Manuscript 

make  it  common.  Keep  it.  The  time  may  come  when 
you  -will  need  it :  you  are  not  fond  of  death." 

I  shuddered. 

"Never  forget,"  she  said,  "that  liere  death  is  consid- 
ered the  chief  blessing.  It  is  useless  for  you  to  interfere 
in  their  ways.     You  cannot  change  them." 

Some  more  jo)ns  passed.  The  bodies  were  embalmed, 
and  Almah  had  more  victims  to  crown  with  garlands  in 
the  horrible  cheder  nehilin. 


Found  in  a  Cojiper  Cylinder.  Ill 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE     BALEFUL     SACRIFICE. 

I  KESOLVED  to  go  on  no  more  sacred  hunts.  I  was 
sickened  at  the  horrible  cruelty,  the  needless  slaughter, 
the  mad  self-sacrifice  which  distinguished  them.  I  was 
overwhelmed  with  horror  at  the  merciless  destruction 
of  brave  comrades,  whose  wounds,  so  gallantly  received, 
should  have  been  enough  to  inspire  pity  even  in  a  heart 
of  stone.  The  gentleness,  the  incessant  kindness,  the 
matchless  generosity  of  these  people  seemed  all  a  mock- 
ery. What  availed  it  all  when  the  same  hand  that 
heaped  favors  upon  me,  the  guest,  could  deal  death  with- 
out compunction  upon  friends  and  relatives  ?  It  seemed 
quite  possible  for  the  Kohen  to  kill  his  own  child,  or 
cut  the  throat  of  his  wife,  if  the  humor  seized  him.  And 
how  long  could  I  hope  to  be  spared  among  a  people  who 
had  this  insane  thirst  for  blood  ? 

Some  m.ore  joins  had  passed,  and  the  light  season  had 
almost  ended.  The  sun  had  been  sinking  lower  and 
lower.  The  time  had  at  last  come  when  only  a  portion 
of  his  disk  would  be  visible  for  a  little  while  above  the 
hills,  and  then  he  would  be  seen  no  more  for  six  months 
of  our  time.  This  was  the  dark  season,  and,  as  I  had 
already  learned,  its  advent  was  always  hailed  with  joy 
and  celebrated  with  solemn  services,  for  the  dark  sea- 
son freed  them  from  their  long  confinement,  permitted 
them  to  go  abroad,  to  travel  by  sea  and  land,  to  carry 
on  their  great  works,  to  indulge  in  all  their  most  impor- 
tant labors  and  favorite  amusements.     The  Kohen  asked 


112  A  Strange  Manuscript 

me  to  be  present  at  the  great  festival,  and  I  gladly  con- 
sented. There  seemed  to  be  nothing  in  this  that  could 
be  repellent.  As  I  was  anxious  to  witness  some  of 
their  purely  religious  ceremonies,  I  wished  to  go.  When 
I  told  Alniah,  she  looked  sad,  but  said  nothing.  I  won- 
dered at  this,  and  asked  her  if  she  was  going.  She  in- 
formed me  that  she  would  have  to  go,  whereupon  I  as- 
sured her  that  this  was  an  additional  reason  why  I 
should  go. 

I  went  with  Almah.  The  Kohen  attended  us  with  his 
usual  kind  and  gracious  consideration.  It  seemed  almost 
as  though  he  was  our  servant.  He  took  us  to  a  place 
where  we  could  be  seated,  although  all  the  others  were 
standing.  Almah  wished  to  refuse,  but  I  prevailed  upon 
her  to  sit  down,  and  she  did  so. 

The  scene  was  upon  the  semicircular  terrace  in  front 
of  the  cavern,  and  we  were  seated  upon  a  stone  platform 
beside  the  chief  ])ortal.  A  vast  crowd  was  gathered  in 
front.  Before  us  arose  the  half-pyramid  of  which  I  have 
already  spoken.  The  light  was  faint.  It  came  from  the 
disk  of  the  sun,  which  was  partly  visible  over  the  icy 
crest  of  the  distant  mountains.  Far  away  the  sea  was 
visible,  rising  high  over  the  tops  of  the  trees,  while  over- 
head the  brighter  stars  were  plainly  discernible. 

The  Kohen  ascended  the  pyramid,  and  others  followed. 
At  the  base  there  was  a  crowd  of  men,  with  emaciated 
forms  and  faces,  and  coarse,  squalid  attire,  who  looked 
like  the  most  abject  paupers,  and  seemed  the  lowest  in 
the  land.  As  the  Kohen  reached  the  summit  there  arose 
a  strange  sound — a  mournful,  plaintive  chant,  which 
seemed  to  be  sung  chiefly  by  the  paupers  at  the  base  of 
the  pyramid.  The  words  of  this  chant  I  could  not  make 
out,  but  the  melancholy  strain  affected  me  in  spite  of 
myself.  There  was  no  particular  tune,  and  nothing  like 
harmony;  but  the  effect  of  so  many  voices  uniting  in 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  113 

this  strain  was  very  powerful  and  altogether  indescriba- 
ble. In  the  midst  of  this  I  saw  the  crowd  parting  asun- 
der so  as  to  make  Avay  for  something;  and  through  the 
passage  thus  formed  I  saw  a  number  of  youths  in  long 
robes,  who  advanced  to  the  pyramid,  singing  as  they 
went.  Then  they  ascended  the  stei)s,  two  by  two,  still 
singing,  and  at  length  reached  the  summit,  where  they 
arranged  themselves  in  order.  There  were  thirty  of 
them,  and  they  arranged  themselves  in  three  rows  of 
ten  each;  and  as  they  stood  they  never  ceased  to  sing, 
while  the  paupers  below  joined  in  the  strain. 

And  now  the  sun  was  almost  hidden,  and  there  was 
only  the  faintest  line  from  the  upper  edge  of  his  disk 
perceptible  over  the  icy  mountain-tops.  The  light  was 
a  softened  twilight  glow.  It  was  to  be  the  last  sight  of 
the  sun  for  six  months,  and  this  was  the  spectacle  upon 
which  he  threw  his  parting  beam.  So  the  sun  passed 
away,  and  then  there  came  the  beginning  of  the  long 
dark  season.  At  first,  however,  there  was  rather  twi- 
light than  darkness,  and  this  twilight  continued  long. 
All  this  only  served  to  heighten  the  effect  of  this  strik- 
ing scene ;  and  as  the  light  faded  away,  I  looked  with 
increasing  curiosity  upon  the  group  at  the  top  of  the 
pyramid.  Almah  was  silent.  I  half  turned,  and  said 
something  to  her  about  the  beauty  of  the  view.  She 
said  nothing,  but  looked  at  me  with  such  an  expression 
that  I  Avas  filled  with  amazement.  I  saw  in  her  face 
something  like  a  dreadful  anticipation — something  that 
spoke  of  coming  evil.  The  feeling  was  communicated 
to  me,  and  I  turned  my  eyes  back  to  the  group  on  the 
pyramid  with  vague  fears  in  my  soul. 

Those  fears  were  but  too  well  founded,  for  now  the 
dread  ceremony  began.  The  Kohen  drew  his  knife,  and 
placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  stone  table.  One  of 
the  youths  came  forward,  stepped  upon  it,  and  lay  down 


114  A  Strange  ManuscrijH 

on  his  back  with  his  head  towards  the  Kohen.  The 
mournful  chant  still  went  on.  Then  the  Kohen  raised 
his  knife  and  plunged  it  into  the  heart  of  the  youth.  I 
sat  for  a  moment  rooted  to  the  spot;  then  a  groan  burst 
from  me  in  spite  of  myself.  Almah  caught  my  hands  in 
hers,  which  Avere  as  cold  as  ice. 

"  Be  firm,"  she  said,  "  or  we  are  both  lost.  Be  firm, 
Atam-or !" 

"  I  must  go,"  said  I,  and  I  tried  to  rise, 

"  Don't  move,"  she  said,  "  for  your  life  !  We  are  lost 
if  you  move.  Keep  still — restrain  yourself — shut  your 
eyes." 

I  tried  to  do  so,  but  could  not.  There  was  a  horri- 
ble fascination  about  the  scene  which  forced  me  to  look 
and  see  all.  The  Kohen  took  the  victim,  and  drawing 
it  from  the  altar,  threw  it  over  the  precipice  to  the 
ground  beneath.  Then  a  loud  shout  burst  forth  from  the 
great  crowd. 

"  Sibgu  Sihgin!  Manenu!  Ilodu  lecosckP^  which 
means,  "  Sacrifice  the  victims  !  Rejoice  !  Give  thanks 
to  darkness !" 

Then  another  of  the  youths  went  forward  amid  the 
singing,  and  laid  himself  down  to  meet  the  same  fate  ; 
and  again  the  corpse  M'as  flung  from  the  top  of  the  pyra- 
mid, and  again  the  shout  arose.  All  the  others  came 
forward  in  the  same  manner. 

Oh,  horrible,  horrible,  thi'ice  horrible  spectacle !  I  do 
not  remember  how  I  endured  it.  I  sat  there  with  Almah, 
tr3nng  to  restrain  mj'self  as  she  had  entreated  me,  more 
for  her  sake  than  for  my  own,  a  prey  to  every  feeling 
of  horror,  anguish,  and  despair.  How  it  all  ended  I  do 
not  know,  nor  do  I  know  how  I  got  away  from  the  place; 
for  I  only  remember  coming  back  to  my  senses  in  the 
lighted  grotto,  with  Almah  bending  anxiously  over  me. 

After  this  there  remained  a  dark  mystery  and  an  ever- 


Found  in  a  Cop2)€r  Cylinder.  115 

present  horror.  I  found  myself  among  a  people  who 
were  at  once  the  gentlest  of  the  human  race  and  the 
most  bloodthirsty — the  knidest  and  the  niost«cruel.  This 
mild,  amiable,  and  self-sacrificing  Kohen,  how  was  it 
possible  that  he  should  transform  himself  to  a  fiend  in- 
carnate? And  for  me  and  for  Almah,  what  possible 
hope  could  there  be?  What  fate  might  they  have  in 
reserve  for  us?  Of  what  avail  was  all  this  profound 
respect,  this  incessant  desire  to  please,  this  attention  to 
our  slightest  wish,  this  comfort  and  luxury  and  splendor, 
this  freedom  of  speech  and  action  ?  Was  it  anything 
better  than  a  mockery?  Might  it  not  be  the  shallow 
kindness  of  the  priest  to  the  victim  reserved  for  the 
sacrifice  ?  Was  it,  after  all,  in  any  degree  better  than 
the  kindness  of  the  cannibal  savages  on  those  drear  outer 
shores  who  received  us  with  such  hospitality,  but  only 
that  they  might  destroy  us  at  last?  Might  they  not  all 
belong  to  the  same  race,  dwelling  as  they  did  in  caverns, 
shunning  the  sunlight,  and  blending  kindness  with  cru- 
elty?    It  was  an  awful  thought ! 

Yet  I  had  one  consolation,  Almah  was  with  me,  and 
so  long  as  she  was  spared  to  me  I  could  endure  this  life. 
I  tried  for  her  sake  to  resist  the  feelings  that  were  com- 
ing over  me.  I  saw  that  she  too  was  a  prey  to  ever- 
deepening  sadness.  She  felt  as  I  did,  and  this  despair 
of  soul  might  wreck  her  young  life  if  there  were  no  alle- 
viation. And  so  I  sought  to  alleviate  her  distress  and 
to  banish  her  sadness.  The  songs  of  these  people  had 
much  impressed  me;  and  one  daj'",  as  I  talked  about  this 
with  Almah,  she  brought  forth  a  musical  instrument  of 
peculiar  shape,  which  was  not  unlike  a  guitar,  though 
the  shape  was  square  and  there  were  a  dozen  strings. 
Upon  this  she  played,  singing  at  the  same  time  some 
songs  of  a  plaintive  character.  An  idea  now  occurred 
to  me  to  have  an  instrument  made  according  to  my  own 


116  A  Strange  Manuscr'q)t 

plans,  -wbich  should  be  iiotbing  less  tban  a  violin.  Aliuab 
was  deligbted  at  the  proposal,  and  at  once  found  a  very- 
clever  workman,  wbo  under  my  direction  succeeded  in 
producing  one  wbicb  served  my  purpose  well.  I  was  a 
good  violinist,  and  in  this  I  was  able  to  find  solace  for 
myself  and  for  Alraab  for  many  a  long  hour. 

The  first  time  that  I  played  was  memorable.  As  tbe 
tones  floated  tbrougli  the  air  they  caught  the  ears  of 
those  outside,  and  soon  great  numbers  came  into  the 
apartment,  listening  in  amazement  and  in  rapt  attention. 
Even  the  painful  light  was  disregarded  in  the  pleasure 
of  this  most  novel  sensation,  and  I  perceived  that  if  the 
sense  of  sight  was  deficient  among  them,  that  of  hearing 
was  sufficiently  acute.  I  played  many  times,  and  some- 
times sang  from  among  the  songs  of  different  nations; 
but  those  which  these  people  liked  best  were  the  Irish 
and  Scottish  melodies — those  matchless  strains  created 
by  the  genius  of  the  Celtic  race,  and  handed  down  from 
immemorial  ages  through  long  generations.  In  these 
there  was  nothing  artificial,  nothing  transient.  They 
were  the  utterance  of  the  human  heart,  and  in  them 
there  was  that  touch  of  nature  which  makes  all  men  kin. 
These  were  the  immortal  passions  which  shall  never 
cease  to  affect  the  soul  of  man,  and  which  had  j^ower 
even  hei'e  ;  the  strains  of  love,  of  sadness,  and  of  pathos 
were  sweet  and  enticing  to  this  gentle  race;  for  in  their 
mild  manners  and  their  outbursts  of  cruelty  they  seemed 
to  be  not  unlike  the  very  race  which  had  created  this 
music,  since  the  Celt  is  at  once  gentle  and  bloodthirsty. 

I  played  "  Tara,"  "  Bonnie  Doon,"  ''  The  Last  Rose 
of  Summer,"  "The  Land  of  the  Leal,"  "Auld  Lang 
Syne,"  "  Lochaber."  They  stood  entranced,  listening 
with  all  their  souls.  They  seemed  to  hunger  and  thirst 
after  this  music,  and  the  strains  of  the  inspired  Celtic 
race  seemed  to  come  to  them  like  the  revelation  of  the 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  117 

glory  of  heaven.  Then  I  played  more  lively  airs.  Some 
I  played  a  second  time,  singing  the  words.  They  seemed 
eager  to  have  the  same  one  played  often.  At  last  a 
grisly  thought  came  to  me:  it  was  that  they  would  learn 
these  sweet  strains,  and  put  their  own  words  to  them 
so  as  to  use  them  at  the  awful  sacrifices.  After  that  I 
would  play  no  more. 

It  is  a  land  of  tender  love  and  remorseless  cruelty. 
Music  is  all-powerful  to  awaken  the  one,  but  powerless 
to  abate  the  other;  and  the  eyes  that  weep  over  the 
pathetic  strains  of  "Lochaber"  can  gaze  Avithout  a  tear 
upon  the  death-agonies  of  a  slaughtered  friend. 


118  A  Strange  Manuscrij)t 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

TUE    AWFUL    "MISTA   KOSEK." 

The  terrible  sacrifice  marked  the  end  of  the  light  sea- 
son. The  dark  season  had  now  begun,  which  would  last 
for  half  the  coming  year.  No  more  sunlight  would  now 
be  visible,  save  at  first  for  a  few  joms,  when  at  certain 
times  tlie  glare  would  be  seen  shooting  up  above  the  icy 
crests  of  the  mountains.  Now  the  people  all  moved  out 
of  the  caverns  into  the  stone  houses  on  the  opposite  side 
of  the  terraces,  and  the  busy  throng  transferred  them- 
selves and  their  occupations  to  the  open  air.  This  with 
them  was  the  season  of  activity,  when  all  their  most  im- 
portant affairs  were  undertaken  and  carried  out ;  the 
season,  too,  of  enjoyment,  when  all  the  chief  sports  and 
festivals  took  place.  Then  the  outer  world  all  awoke 
to  life  ;  the  streets  were  thronged,  fleets  of  galleys  came 
forth  from  their  moorings,  and  the  sounds  of  labor  and 
of  pleasure,  of  toil  and  revelry,  arose  into  the  darkened 
skies.  Then  the  city  was  a  city  of  the  living,  no  longer 
silent,  but  full  of  bustle,  and  the  caverns  were  frequented 
but  little.  This  cavern  life  was  only  tolerable  during 
the  light  season,  when  the  sun-glare  Avas  over  the  land  ; 
but  now,  when  the  beneficent  and  grateful  darkness  per- 
vaded all  things,  the  outer  world  was  infinitely  more 
agreeable. 

To  me,  however,  the  arrival  of  the  dark  season  brought 
only  additional  gloom.  I  could  not  get  rid  of  the  thought 
that  I  was  reserved  for  some  horrible  fate,  in  which  Al- 
mah  might  also  be  involved.     We  were  both  aliens  here, 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  119 

in  a  nation  of  kind-hearted  and  amiable  miscreants — of 
generous,  refined,  and  most  self-denying  fiends  ;  of  men 
Avho  were  highly  civilized,  yet  utterly  wrong-headed  and 
irreclaimable  in  their  bloodthirsty  cruelty.  The  stain 
of  blood-guiltiness  was  over  all  the  land.  What  was  I, 
that  I  could  hope  to  be  spared?  The  hope  was  mad- 
ness, and  I  did  not  pretend  to  indulge  it. 

The  only  consolation  was  Almah.  The  manners  of 
these  people  were  such  that  we  were  still  left  as  uncon- 
strained as  ever  in  our  movements,  and  always,  wherever 
we  w^ent,  we  encountered  nothing  but  amiable  smiles 
and  courteous  offices.  Every  one  was  always  eager  to 
do  anytliing  for  us — to  give,  to  go,  to  act,  to  speak,  as 
though  we  were  the  most  honored  of  guests,  the  pride 
of  the  city.  The  Kohen  was  untiring  in  his  eiforts  to 
please.  He  was  in  the  habit  of  making  presents  every 
time  he  came  to  see  me,  and  on  each  occasion  the  pres- 
ent was  of  a  different  kind ;  at  one  time  it  was  a  new 
robe  of  curiously  wrought  feathers,  at  another  some 
beautiful  gem,  at  another  some  rare  fruit.  He  also  made 
incessant  efforts  to  render  my  situation  pleasant,  and 
was  delighted  at  my  rapid  progress  in  acquiring  the  lan- 
guage. 

On  i\i(i  jam  following  the  sacrifice  I  accompanied  Al- 
mah as  she  went  to  her  daily  task,  and  after  it  was  over 
I  asked  when  the  new  victims  would  be  placed  here. 
"  How  long  does  it  take  to  embalm  them  ?"  I  added. 

Almah  looked  at  me  earnestly. 

"They  will  not  bring  them  here  ;  they  will  not  em- 
balm them,"  said  she. 

"Why  not?"  I  asked;  "what  will  they  do  with 
them  ?" 

"  Do  not  ask,"  said  she.    "  It  will  pain  you  to  know." 

In  spite  of  repeated  solicitation  she  refused  to  give 
me  any  satisfaction.     I  felt  deeply  moved  at  her  words 


120  A  Strange  Manuscript 

and  her  looks.  What  was  it,  I  wondered,  that  could 
give  me  pain  ?  or  what  could  there  still  be  that  could 
excite  fear  in  mc,  Avho  had  learned  and  seen  so  much? 
I  could  not  imagine.  It  was  evidently  some  disposal  of 
the  bodies  of  the  victims — that  was  plain.  Turning  this 
over  in  my  mind,  with  vague  conjectures  as  to  Almah's 
meaning,  I  left  her  and  walked  along  the  terrace  until 
I  came  to  the  next  cavern.  This  had  never  been  open 
before,  and  I  now  entered  through  curiosity  to  see  what 
it  might  be.  I  saw  a  vast  cavern,  quite  as  large  as  the 
cheder  nebilin,  full  of  people,  who  seemed  to  be  engaged 
in  decorating  it.  Hundreds  were  at  work,  and  they  had 
brought  immense  tree-ferns,  which  were  placed  on  either 
side  in  long  rows,  with  their  branches  meeting  and  inter- 
lacing at  the  top.  It  looked  like  the  interior  of  some 
great  Gothic  cathedral  at  night,  and  the  few  twinkling 
lights  that  were  scattered  here  and  there  made  the  shad- 
owy outline  just  visible  to  me. 

I  asked  one  of  the  bystanders  what  this  might  be,  and 
he  told  me  that  it  was  the  3Iista  KoscJc,  which  means 
the  "  Feast  of  Darkness,"  from  which  I  gathered  that 
they  were  about  to  celebrate  the  advent  of  the  dark  sea- 
son with  a  feast.  From  what  I  knew  of  their  character 
this  seemed  quite  intelligible,  and  there  was  much  beauty 
and  taste  in  the  arrangements.  All  were  industrious 
and  orderly,  and  each  one  seemed  most  eager  to  assist 
his  neighbor.  Indeed,  there  seemed  to  be  a  friendly 
rivalry  in  this  which  at  times  amounted  to  positive  vio- 
lence ;  for  more  than  once  when  a  man  was  seen  carry- 
ing too  large  a  burden,  some  one  else  would  insist  on 
taking  it  from  him.  At  first  these  altercations  seemed 
exactly  like  the  quarrels  of  workmen  at  home,  but  a 
closer  inspection  showed  that  it  was  merely  the  persist- 
ent effort  of  one  to  help  another. 

I  learned  that  the  feast  was  to  take  place  as  soon  as 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  121 

the  hall  was  decorated,  and  that  it  would  be  attended 
by  a  great  multitude.  I  felt  a  great  interest  in  it.  There 
seemed  something  of  poetic  beauty  in  this  mode  of  wel- 
coming the  advent  of  a  welcome  season,  and  it  served 
to  mitigate  the  horrible  remembrance  of  that  other  cele- 
bration, upon  which  I  could  not  think  without  a  shud- 
der. I  thought  that  it  would  be  pleasant  to  join  Avith 
them  here,  and  resolved  to  ask  Almah  to  come  with  me, 
so  that  she  might  explain  the  meaning  of  the  ceremo- 
nies. Full  of  this  thought,  I  went  to  her  and  told  her 
my  wish.  She  looked  at  me  with  a  face  full  of  amazs- 
ment  and  misery.  In  great  surprise  I  questioned  her 
eagerly. 

"Ask  me  nothing,"  said  she.  "I  will  answer  noth- 
ing ;  but  do  not  think  of  it.  Do  not  go  near  it.  Stay 
in  your  room  till  the  fearful  repast  is  over." 

"  Fearful  ?     How  is  it  fearful  ?"  I  asked. 

"Everything  here  is  fearful,"  said  Almah,  with  a 
sigh.  "  Every  season  it  grows  worse,  and  I  shall  grow 
at  length  to  hate  life  and  love  death  as  these  people  do. 
They  can  never  understand  us,  and  we  can  never  under- 
stand them.  Oh,  if  I  could  but  once  more  stand  in  my 
own  dear  native  land  but  for  one  moment — to  see  once 
more  the  scenes  and  the  faces  that  I  love  so  well !  Oh, 
how  different  is  this  land  from  mine  !  Here  all  is  dark, 
all  is  terrible.  There  the  people  love  the  light  and  re- 
joice in  the  glorious  sun,  and  when  the  dark  season 
comes  they  wait,  and  have  no  other  desire  than  for  the 
long  day.  There  we  live  under  the  sky,  in  the  eye  of 
the  sun.  We  build  our  houses,  and  when  the  dark  sea- 
son comes  we  fill  them  with  lamps  that  make  a  blaze 
like  the  sun  itself." 

""We  must  try  to  escape,"  I  eaid,  in  a  low  voice. 

"Escape!"  said  she.     "That  is  easy  enough.     Wo 
might  go  now  ;  but  where  ?" 
6 


122  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Back,"  said  I,  "  to  your  own  country.  See,  the  sky 
is  dotted  with  stars  :  I  can  find  my  way  by  them." 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  if  I  could  only  tell  you  where  to 
go  ;  but  I  cannot.  My  country  lies  somewhere  over  the 
sea,  but  where,  I  know  not.  Over  the  sea  there  are 
many  lands,  and  we  might  reach  some  one  even  worse 
than  this." 

*'  Perhaps,"  said  T,  "  the  Kohen  might  allow  us  to  go 
away  to  your  country,  and  send  us  there.  He  is  most 
generous  and  most  amiable.  He  seems  to  spend  most 
of  his  time  in  efforts  to  make  us  happy.  There  must 
be  many  seamen  in  this  nation  who  know  the  way.  It 
would  be  worth  trying." 

Almah  shook  her  head.  "You  do  not  understand 
these  people,"  said  she.  "Their  ruling  passion  is  the 
hatred  of  self,  and  therefore  they  are  eager  to  confer 
benefits  on  others.  The  only  hope  of  life  that  I  have 
for  you  and  for  myself  is  in  this,  that  if  tlicy  kill  us  they 
will  lose  their  most  agreeable  occupation.  They  value 
us  most  highly,  because  we  take  everything  that  is  given 
us.  You  and  I  now  possess  as  our  own  property  all  this 
city  and  all  its  buildings,  and  all  the  people  have  made 
themselves  our  slaves." 

At  this  I  was  utterly  bewildered. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  I. 

"  I  suppose  not,"  said  Almah  ;  "  but  you  will  under- 
stand better  after  you  have  been  here  longer.  At  any 
rate,  you  can  see  for  yourself  that  the  ruling  passion  here 
is  self-denial  and  the  good  of  others.  Every  one  is  in- 
tent upon  this,  from  the  Kohen  up  to  the  most  squalid 
pauper." 

"  Up  to  the  most  squalid  pauper?"  said  I.  " I  do  not 
understand  you.  You^mean  doicn  to  the  most  squalid 
pauper." 

" No,"  said  Almah  ;  "I  mean  what  I  say.     In  this 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  123 

country  the  paupers  form  the  most  honored  and  envied 
class." 

"  This  is  beyond  my  comprehension,"  said  I.  "  But 
if  this  is  really  so,  and  if  these  people  pretend  to  be  our 
slaves,  why  may  Ave  not  order  out  a  galley  and  go  ?" 

"  Oh,  well,  with  you  in  your  land,  if  a  master  were  to 
order  his  slaves  to  cut  his  throat  and  poison  his  children 
and  burn  down  his  house,  would  the  slaves  obey  ?" 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  "Well,  our  slaves  here  would  not — in  fact  could  not 
— obey  a  command  that  would  be  shocking  to  their 
natures.  They  think  that  we  are  in  the  best  of  all  lands, 
and  my  request  to  be  sent  home  would  be  utterly  mon- 
strous." 

"  I  suppose,"  said  I,  "  they  would  kill  us  if  we  asked 
them  to  do  so?" 

"Yes,"  said  Almah;  "  for  they  think  death  the  great- 
est blessing." 

"And  if  at  the  point  of  death  we  should  beg  for  life, 
would  they  spare  us  ?" 

"Certainly  not,"  said  Almah.  "Would  you  kill  a 
man  who  asked  for  death  ?  No  more  would  these  peo- 
ple spare  a  man  who  asked  for  life." 

All  this  was  so  utterly  incomprehensible  that  I  could 
pursue  the  subject  no  further.  I  saw,  however,  that 
Almah  was  wretched,  dejected,  and  suffering  greatly 
from  homesickness.  Gladly  would  I  have  taken  her 
and  started  off  on  a  desperate  flight  by  sea  or  land — 
gladly  would  I  have  dared  every  peril,  although  I  well 
knew  what  tremendous  perils  there  were  ;  but  she  would 
not  consent,  and  believed  the  attempt  to  be  useless.  I 
could  only  wait,  therefore,  and  indulge  the  hope  that  at 
last  a  chance  of  escape  might  one  day  come,  of  which 
she  would  be  willing  to  avail  hc-Bself. 

Almah  utterly  refused  to  go  to  the  feast,  and  entreated 


124  A  Strange  Manuscript 

me  not  to  go  ;  but  this  only  served  to  increase  my  curi- 
osity, and  I  determined  to  see  it  for  myself,  whatever 
it  was.  She  had  seen  it,  and  why  should  not  I  ?  What- 
ever it  might  be,  my  nerves  could  surely  stand  the  sliock 
as  well  as  hers.  Besides,  I  was  anxious  to  know  the  very 
worst ;  and  if  there  was  anything  that  could  surpass  in 
atrocity  what  I  had  already  witnessed,  it  were  better 
that  I  should  not  remain  in  ignorance  of  it. 

So  at  length,  leaving  Altnah,  I  returned  to  the  hall  of 
the  feast.  I  found  there  a  vast  multitude,  which  seemed 
to  comprise  the  whole  city — men,  women,  children,  all 
were  there.  Long  tables  were  laid  out.  The  people 
were  all  standing  and  waiting.  A  choir  was  singing 
plaintive  strains  that  sounded  like  the  chant  of  the  sac- 
rifice. Those  nearest  me  regarded  me  with  their  usual 
amiable  smiles,  and  wished  to  conduct  me  to  some  place 
of  honor;  but  I  did  not  care  about  taking  a  part  in  this 
feast.     I  wished  to  be  a  mere  spectator,  nothing  more. 

I  walked  past  and  came  to  the  next  cavern.  This 
seemed  to  be  quite  as  large  as  the  other.  There  was  a 
crowd  of  people  here  also,  and  at  one  end  there  blazed 
an  enormous  fire.  It  was  a  furnace  that  seemed  to  be 
used  for  cooking  the  food  of  this  banquet,  and  there  was 
a  thick  steam  rising  from  an  immense  caldron,  while 
the  air  was  filled  with  an  odor  like  that  of  a  kitchen. 

All  this  I  took  in  at  a  glance,  and  at  the  same  instant 
I  saw  something  else.  There  were  several  very  long 
tables,  which  stood  at  the  sides  of  the  cavern  and  in  the 
middle,  and  upon  each  of  these  I  saw  lying  certain  things 
covered  over  with  cloths.  The  shape  of  these  was  more 
than  suggestive — it  told  me  all.  It  was  a  sight  of  hor- 
ror— awful,  tremendous,  unspeakable  !  For  a  moment 
I  stood  motionless,  staring  ;  then  all  the  cavern  seemed 
to  swim  around  me.  I  reeled,  I  fell,  and  sank  into  noth- 
ingness. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  125 

When  I  revived  I  was  in  the  liglitecl  grotto,  lying  on 
a  couch,  with  Almah  bending  over  me.  Her  face  was 
full  of  tenderest  anxiety,  yet  there  was  also  apparent  a 
certain  solemn  gloom  that  well  accorded  with  my  own 
feelings.  As  I  looked  at  her  she  drew  a  long  breath, 
and  buried  her  face  in  her  hands. 

After  a  time  my  recollection  returned,  and  all  came 
back  before  me.     I  rose  to  a  sitting  posture. 

"Do  not  rise  yet,"  said  Almah,  anxiously  ;  "you  are 
weak." 

"  Xo,"  said  I ;"  I  am  as  strong  as  ever ;  but  I'm 
afraid  that  you  are  weaker." 

Almah  shuddered. 

"  If  you  had  told  me  exactly  what  it  was,"  said  I,  "  I 
would  not  have  gone." 

"  I  could  not  tell  you,"  said  she.  "  It  is  too  terrible 
to  name.  Even  the  thought  is  intolerable.  I  told  you 
not  to  go.     Why  did  you  go  ?" 

She  spoke  in  accents  of  tender  reproach,  and  there 
were  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  I  did  not  think  of  anything  so  hideous  as  that,"  said 
I.  "  I  thought  that  there  might  be  a  sacrifice,  but  noth- 
ing worse." 

I  now  learned  that  when  I  fainted  I  had  been  raised 
most  tenderly,  and  the  Kohen  himself  came  with  me  as 
I  was  carried  back,  and  he  thought  that  Almah  would 
be  my  most  agreeable  nurse.  The  Kohen  was  most  kind 
and  sympathetic,  and  all  the  people  vied  with  one  another 
in  their  efforts  to  assist  me — so  much  so  that  there  was 
the  greatest  confusion.  It  Avas  only  by  Almah's  express 
entreaty  that  they  retired  and  left  me  with  her. 

Here  was  a  new  phase  in  the  character  of  this  mys- 
terious people.  Could  I  ever  hope  to  understand  them? 
Where  other  people  are  cruel  to  strangers,  or  at  best 
indifferent,  these  are  eager  in  their  acts  of  kindness  ; 


126  A  Strange  Manuscript 

they  exhibit  the  most  unbounded  hospitality,  the  most 
lavish  generosity,  the  most  self-denying  care  and  atten- 
tion ;  where  others  would  be  offended  at  the  intrusion 
of  a  stranger,  and  enraged  at  his  unconquerable  disgust, 
these  people  had  no  feeling  save  pity,  sympathy,  and  a 
desire  to  alleviate  his  distress.  And  yet — oh,  and  yet ! — 
oh,  thought  of  horror  ! — what  was  this  that  I  had  seen  ? 
The  abhorrent  savages  in  the  outer  wilderness  were 
surely  of  the  same  race  as  these.  They  too  received  us 
kindly,  they  too  lavished  upon  us  their  hospitality,  and 
yet  there  followed  the  horror  of  that  frightful  repast. 
Here  there  had  been  kindness  and  generosity  and  affec- 
tionate attention,  to  be  succeeded  by  deeds  without  a 
name.  Ah  me  !  what  an  hour  that  was !  And  yet  it 
was  as  nothing  compared  to  what  lay  before  me  in  the 
future. 

But  the  subject  was  one  of  which  I  dared  not  speak 
— one  from  which  I  had  to  force  my  thoughts  away. 
I  took  the  violin  and  played  "  Lochaber "  till  Almah 
wept,  and  I  had  to  put  it  away.  Then  I  begged  her 
to  play  or  sing.  She  brought  an  instrument  like  a  lute, 
and  upon  this  she  played  some  melancholy  strains. 

At  length  the  Kohen  came  in.  His  mild,  benevolent 
face  never  exhibited  more  gentle  and  affectionate  sym- 
pathy than  now.  He  seated  himself,  and  with  eyes  half 
closed,  as  usual,  talked  much ;  and  yet,  with  a  native 
delicacy  which  always  distinguished  this  extraordinary 
man,  he  made  no  allusion  to  the  awful  Uista  Kosek. 
For  my  own  part,  I  could  not  speak.  I  was  absent- 
minded,  overwhelmed  with  gloom  and  despair,  and  at 
the  same  time  full  of  aversion  towards  him  and  all  his 
race.     One  question,  however,  I  had  to  put. 

"  Who  were  the  victims  of  the  3Usta  KoseJc .?" 

"  They  ?"  said  he,  with  an  agreeable  smile.  "  Oh,  they 
were  the  victims  of  the  sacrifice." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  127 

I  sank  back  in  ray  scat,  and  said  no  more.  The  Kohen 
then  took  Almah's  lute,  played  and  sang  in  a  very  sweet 
voice,  and  at  length,  with  his  usual  gentle  consideration, 
seeing  that  I  looked  weary,  he  retired. 


128  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

I    LEARN    MY    DOOM. 

HoEROR  is  a  feeling  that  cannot  last  long ;  human 
nature  is  incapable  of  supporting  it.  Sadness,  whether 
from  bereavement,  or  disappointment,  or  misfortune  of 
any  kind,  may  linger  on  through  life.  In  my  case,  how- 
ever, the  milder  and  more  enduring  feeling  of  sadness 
had  no  sufficient  cause  for  existence.  The  sights  which 
I  had  seen  inspired  horror,  and  horror  only.  But  when 
the  first  rush  of  this  feeling  had  passed  there  came  a 
reaction.  Calmness  followed,  and  then  all  the  circum- 
stances of  my  life  here  conspired  to  perpetuate  that 
calm.  For  here  all  on  the  surface  was  pleasant  and  beau- 
tiful ;  all  the  people  were  amiable  and  courteous  and 
most  generous.  I  had  light  and  luxury  and  amusements. 
Around  me  there  were  thousands  of  faces,  all  greeting 
me  with  cordial  affection,  and  thousands  of  hands  all 
ready  to  perform  my  slightest  wish.  Above  all,  there 
was  Alraah.  Everything  combined  to  make  her  most 
dear  to  me.  My  life  had  been  such  that  I  never  before 
had  seen  any  one  whom  I  loved  ;  and  here  Almah  was 
the  one  congenial  associate  in  a  whole  world  of  aliens  : 
she  was  beautiful  and  gentle  and  sympathetic,  and  I 
loved  her  dearly,  even  before  I  understood  what  my 
feelings  were.  One  day  I  learned  all,  and  found  that 
she  was  more  precious  to  me  than  all  the  Avorld. 

It  was  one  jam  when  she  did  not  make  her  appear- 
ance as  usual.  On  asking  after  her  I  learned  that  she 
was  ill.     At  this  intelligence  there  came  over  me  a  feel- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  129 

ing  of  sickening  anxiety  and  fear.  Alinali  ill !  What 
if  it  should  prove  serious  ?  Could  I  endure  life  here 
without  her  sweet  companionship  ?  Of  what  value  was 
life  without  her?  And  as  I  asked  myself  these  ques- 
tions I  learned  that  Almah  had  become  dearer  to  me 
than  life  itself,  and  that  in  her  was  all  the  sunshine  of 
my  existence.  While  she  was  absent,  life  was  nothing  ; 
all  its  value,  all  its  light,  its  flavor,  its  beauty,  were 
gone.  I  felt  utterly  crushed.  I  forgot  all  else  save 
her  illness,  and  all  that  1  had  endured  seemed  as  noth- 
ing when  compared  with  this. 

In  the  midst  of  my  own  anxiety  I  was  surprised  to 
find  that  the  whole  community  was  most  profoundly  agi- 
tated. Among  all  classes  there  seemed  to  be  but  one 
thought — her  illness.  I  could  overhear  them  talking. 
I  could  see  them  wait  outside  to  hear  about  her.  It 
seemed  to  be  the  one  subject  of  interest,  beside  which 
all  others  were  forgotten.  The  Kohen  was  absorbed  in 
her  case  ;  all  the  phj'sicians  of  the  city  were  more  or 
less  engaged  in  her  behalf  ;  and  there  came  forward  as 
volunteers  every  woman  in  the  place  who  had  any  knowl- 
edge of  sick-duties.  I  was  somewhat  perplexed,  how- 
evei',  at  their  manner.  They  were  certainly  agitated 
and  intensely  interested,  yet  not  exactly  sad.  Indeed, 
from  what  I  heard  it  seemed  as  though  this  strange 
people  regarded  sickness  as  rather  a  blessing  than  oth- 
erwise. This,  however,  did  not  interfere  in  the  slightest 
degree  with  the  most  intense  interest  in  her,  and  the 
most  assiduous  attention.  The  Kohen  in  particular  was 
devoted  to  her.  He  was  absent-minded,  silent,  and  full 
of  care.  On  the  whole,  I  felt  more  than  ever  puzzled, 
and  less  able  than  ever  to  understand  these  people.  I 
loved  them,  yet  loathed  them  ;  for  the  Kohen  I  had  at 
once  affection  and  horror.  He  looked  like  an  anxious 
father,  full  of  tenderest  love  for  a  sick  child — full  also 


130  A  Strange  Manuscript 

of  delicate  sympathy  with  me  ;  and  yet  I  knew  all  the 
time  that  he  was  quite  capable  of  plunging  the  sacrificial 
knife  in  Almah's  heart  and  of  eating  her  afterwards. 

But  my  own  thoughts  were  all  of  Almah.  I  learned 
how  dear  she  was.  With  her  the  brightness  of  life  had 
passed  ;  without  her  existence  would  be  intolerable.  Her 
sweet  voice,  her  tender  and  gracious  manner,  her  soft 
touch,  her  tender,  affectionate  smile,  her  mournful  yet 
trustful  look — oh,  heavens  !  would  all  these  be  mine  no 
more  ?  I  could  not  endure  the  thought.  At  first  I  wan- 
dered about,  seeking  rest  and  finding  none  ;  and  at  length 
I  sat  in  my  own  room,  and  passed  the  time  in  listen- 
ing, in  questioning  the  attendants,  in  wondering  what  I 
should  do  if  she  should  be  taken  from  me. 

At  length  on  one  blessed  Jom  the  Kohen  came  to  me 
with  a  bright  smile. 

"  Our  darling  Almah  is  better,"  said  he.  "  Eat,  I  be- 
seech you.  She  is  very  dear  to  all  of  us,  and  we  have 
all  felt  for  her  and  for  you.  But  now  all  danger  is  past. 
The  physicians  say  that  she  will  soon  be  well." 

There  were  tears  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke.  It  may  have 
been  caused  by  the  bright  light,  but  I  attributed  this  to 
his  loving  heart,  and  I  forgot  that  he  was  a  cannibal. 
I  took  his  hands  in  mine  and  pressed  them  in  deep  emo- 
tion.    He  looked  at  me  with  a  sweet  and  gentle  smile. 

"  I  see  it  all,"  said  he,  in  a  low  voice  ;  "  you  love  her, 
Atam-or." 

I  pressed  his  hands  harder,  but  said  nothing.  Indeed, 
I  could  not  trust  myself  to  speak. 

"I  knew  it,"  said  he;  "it  is  but  natural.  You  are 
both  of  a  different  race  from  us;  you  are  both  much 
alike,  and  in  full  sympathy  with  one  another.  This 
draws  you  together.  When  I  first  saw  you  I  thought 
that  you  would  be  a  fit  companion  for  her  here — that 
you  would  lessen  her  gloom,  and  that  she  would  be  pleas- 


Found  in  a  Cojyper  Cylinder.  131 

ant  to  you.  I  found  out  soon  that  I  was  right,  and  I 
felt  glad,  for  you  at  once  showed  the  fullest  sympathy 
with  one  another.  Never  till  you  came  was  Almah  hap- 
py with  lis;  but  since  you  have  come  she  has  been  a 
different  being,  and  there  has  been  a  joyousness  in  her 
manner  that  I  never  saw  before.  You  have  made  her 
forget  how  to  weep  ;  and  as  for  yourself,  I  hope  she  has 
made  your  life  in  this  strange  land  seem  less  painful, 
Atam-or." 

At  all  this  I  was  so  full  of  amazement  that  I  could 
not  say  one  word. 

"  Pardon  me,"  continued  he,  "  if  I  have  said  anything 
that  may  seem  like  an  intrusion  upon  your  secret  and 
most  sacred  feelings.  I  could  not  have  said  it  had  it 
not  been  for  the  deep  affection  I  feel  for  Almah  and  for 
you,  and  for  the  reason  that  I  am  just  now  more  moved 
than  usual,  and  have  less  control  over  my  feelings." 

Saying  this,  he  pressed  my  hand  and  left  me.  It  was 
not  the  custom  here  to  shake  hands,  but  with  his  usual 
amiability  he  had  adopted  my  custom,  and  used  it  as 
naturally  as  though  he  had  been  to  the  manner  born. 

I  was  encouraged  now.  The  mild  Kohen  came  often 
to  cheer  me.  He  talked  much  about  Almah — about  her 
sweet  and  gracious  disposition,  the  love  that  all  felt  for 
her,  the  deep  and  intense  interest  which  her  illness  had 
aroused.  In  all  this  he  seemed  more  like  a  man  of  my 
own  race  than  before,  and  in  his  eager  desire  for  her 
recovery  he  failed  to  exhibit  that  love  for  death  which 
was  his  nature.  So  it  seemed;  yet  this  desire  for  her 
recovery  did  not  arise  out  of  any  lack  of  love  for  death ; 
its  true  cause  I  was  to  learn  afterwards;  and  I  was  to 
know  that  if  he  desired  Almah's  recovery  now,  it  Avas 
only  that  she  might  live  long  enough  to  encounter  death 
in  a  more  terrific  form.  But  just  then  all  this  was  un- 
known, and  I  judged  him  by  myself. 


132  A  Strange  Manuscript 

At  last  I  learned  that  she  was  mucli  better,  and  would 
be  out  on  the  following  Jo;«.  This  intelligence  filled  me 
with  a  fever  of  eager  anticipation,  so  great  that  I  could 
think  of  nothing  else.  Sleep  was  impossible.  I  could 
only  wait,  and  try  as  best  I  might  to  quell  my  impatience. 
At  last  the  time  came.  I  sat  waiting.  The  curtain  was 
drawn  aside.  I  sprang  up,  and,  hurrying  towards  her,  I 
caught  her  in  my  arms  and  wept  for  joy.  Ah  me,  how 
pale  she  looked  !  She  bore  still  the  marks  of  her  illness. 
She  seemed  deeply  embarrassed  and  agitated  at  the  fer- 
vor of  my  greeting  ;  while  I,  instead  of  apologizing  or 
trying  to  excuse  myself,  only  grew  more  agitated  still. 

"  Oh,  Almah,"  I  cried,  "I  should  have  died  if  you  had 
not  come  back  to  me  !  Oh,  Almah,  I  love  you  better 
than  life,  and  I  never  knew  how  dearly  I  loved  you  till 
I  thought  that  I  had  lost  you  !  Oh,  forgive  me,  but  I 
must  tell  you — and  don't  weep,  darling." 

She  was  weeping  as  I  spoke.  She  said  nothing,  but 
twined  her  arms  around  my  neck  and  wept  on  my  breast. 

After  this  we  had  much  to  say  that  we  had  never  men- 
tioned before.  I  cannot  tell  the  sweet  words  that  she 
said  to  me  ;  but  I  now  learned  that  she  had  loved  me 
from  the  first — when  I  came  to  her  in  her  loneliness* 
when  she  was  homesick  and  heartsick  ;  and  I  came,  a 
kindred  nature,  of  a  race  more  like  her  own ;  and  she 
saw  in  me  the  only  one  of  all  around  her  whom  it  was 
possible  not  to  detest,  and  therefore  she  loved  me. 

We  had  many  things  to  say  to  one  another,  and  long 
exchanges  of  confidence  to  make.  She  noAv  for  the  first 
time  told  me  all  the  sorrow  that  she  had  endured  in  her 
captivity — sorrow  which  she  had  kept  silent  and  shut  \\\i 
deep  within  her  breast.  At  first  her  life  here  had  been 
so  terrible  that  it  had  brought  her  down  nearly  to  death. 
After  this  she  had  sunk  into  dull  despair  ;  she  had  grown 
familiar  with  horrors  and  lived  in  a  state  of  unnatural 


"WE  HAD   MANY  THINGS  TO  SAT  TO  ONE  ANOTHEK." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  133 

calm.  From  this  my  arrival  bad  roused  her.  The  dis- 
play of  feeling  on  my  part  had  brought  back  all  her  old 
self,  and  roused  anew  all  those  feelings  which  in  her  had 
become  dormant.  The  darkness,  the  bloodshed,  the 
sacrifices,  all  these  affected  me  as  they  had  once  affected 
her.  I  had  the  same  fear  of  death  which  she  had. 
When  I  had  gone  with  her  to  the  cheder  nehilin,  when 
I  had  used  my  sepet-ram  to  save  life,  she  had  perceived 
in  me  feelings  and  impulses  to  which  all  her  own  nat- 
ure responded.  Finally,  when  I  asked  about  the  Mista 
JZoseJc,  she  warned  me  not  to  go.  When  I  did  go  she 
was  with  me  in  thought  and  suffered  all  that  I  felt,  un- 
til the  moment  when  I  was  brought  back  and  laid  sense- 
less at  her  feet. 

"  Then,"  said  Almah,  "  I  felt  the  full  meaning  of  all 
that  lies  before  us." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?"  I  asked,  anxiously. 
"You  speak  as  though  there  were  something  yet — worse 
than  what  has  already  been  ;  yet  nothing  can  possibly 
be  worse.  We  have  seen  the  worst ;  let  us  now  try  to 
shake  off  these  grisly  thoughts,  and  be  happy  with  one 
another.  Your  strength  will  soon  be  back,  and  while 
we  have  one  another  we  can  be  happy  even  in  this 
gloom." 

"  Ah  me,"  said  Alraah,  "  it  would  be  better  now  to 
die.  I  could  die  happy  now,  since  I  know  that  you  love 
me." 

"Death  !"  said  I ;  "do  not  talk  of  it — do  not  mention 
that  word.  It  is  more  abhorrent  than  ever.  No,  Almah, 
let  us  live  and  love — let  us  hope — let  us  fly." 

"Impossible  !"  said  she,  in  a  mournful  voice.  "We 
cannot  fly.  There  is  no  hope.  We  must  face  the  fut- 
ure, and  make  uj)  our  minds  to  bear  our  fate." 

"  Fate  !"  I  repeated,  looking  at  her  in  wonder  and  in 
deep  concern.     "  What  do  you  mean  by  our  fate  ?    Is 


134  A  Strange  Manuscript 

there  anything  more  which  you  know  and  which  I  have 
not  heard  ?" 

"  You  have  heard  nothing,"  said  she,  slowly  ;  "  and 
all  that  you  have  seen  and  heard  is  as  nothing  compared 
with  what  lies  before  us.  For  you  and  for  me  there  is 
a  fate — inconceivable,  abhorrent,  tremendous  ! — a  fate 
of  which  I  dare  not  speak  or  even  think,  and  from  which 
there  is  no  escape  whatever." 

As  Almah  said  this  she  looked  at  me  with  an  expres- 
sion in  which  terror  and  anguish  were  striving  with  love. 
Her  cheeks,  which  shortly  before  had  flushed  rosy  red 
in  sweet  confusion,  were  now  pallid,  her  lips  ashen  ;  her 
eyes  were  full  of  a  wild  despair.  I  looked  at  her  in 
wonder,  and  could  not  say  a  word. 

*'  Oh,  Atam-or,"  said  she,  "  I  am  afraid  of  death  !" 

"  Almah,"  said  I,  "  why  will  you  speak  of  death  ? 
What  is  this  fate  which  you  fear  so  much  ?" 

"It  is  this,"  said  she,  hurriedly  and  with  a  shudder, 
"you  and  I  are  singled  out.  I  have  been  reserved  for 
years  until  one  should  be  found  who  might  be  joined  with 
me.  You  came.  I  saw  it  all  at  once.  I  have  known  it 
— dreaded  it — tried  to  fight  against  it.  But  it  was  of  no 
use.  Oh,  Atam-or,  our  love  means  death  ;  for  the  very 
fact  that  you  love  me  and  I  love  you  seals  our  doom !" 

"  Our  doom  ?    What  doom  ?" 

"  The  sacrifice  !"  exclaimed  Almah,  with  another  shud- 
der. In  her  voice  and  look  there  was  a  terrible  mean- 
ing, which  I  could  not  fail  to  take.  I  understood  it  now, 
and  my  blood  curdled  in  my  veins.  Almah  clung  to 
me  despairingly. 

"Do  not  leave  me!"  she  cried — "do  not  leave  me! 
I  have  no  one  but  you.  The  sacrifice,  the  sacrifice ! 
It  is  our  doom,  the  great  sacrifice — at  the  end  of  the 
dark  season.  It  is  at  the  amir.  We  must  go  there  to 
meet  our  doom." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  135 

"The  amir?''  I  asked;  "what  is  that?" 

"  It  is  the  metropolis,"  said  she. 

I  was  utterly  overwhelmed,  yet  still  I  tried  to  console 
her;  but  the  attempt  was  vain. 

"  Oh  !"  she  cried,  "  you  will  not  understand.  The 
sacrifice  is  but  a  part — it  is  but  the  beginning.  Death 
is  terrible ;  yet  it  may  be  endured — if  there  is  only 
death.  But  oh  ! — oh,  think  ! — think  of  that  which  comes 
after — the  Mista  ITosekf" 

Kow  the  full  meaning  flashed  upon  me,  and  I  saw  it  all. 
In  an  instant  there  arose  in  my  mind  the  awful  sacrifice 
on  the  pyramid  and  the  unutterable  horror  of  the  Mista 
Ivosek.  Oh,  horror,  horror,  horror  !  Oh,  hideous  abom- 
ination and  deed  without  a  name  !  I  could  not  speak. 
I  caught  her  in  my  arms,  and  we  both  wept  passionately. 

The  happiness  of  our  love  was  now  darkened  by  this 
tremendous  cloud  that  lowered  before  us.  The  shock 
of  this  discovery  was  overpowering,  and  some  time 
elapsed  before  I  could  rally  from  it.  Though  Almah's 
love  was  sweet  beyond  expression,  and  though  as  the 
time  passed  I  saw  that  every  Jom  she  regained  more  and 
more  of  her  former  health  and  strength,  still  I  could 
not  forget  what  had  been  revealed.  We  were  happy 
with  one  another,  yet  our  happiness  was  clouded,  and 
amid  the  brightness  of  our  love  there  was  ever  present 
the  dread  spectre  of  our  appalling  doom. 

These  feelings,  however,  grew  fainter.  Hope  is  ever 
ready  to  arise  ;  and  I  began  to  think  that  these  people, 
though  given  to  evil  ways,  were  after  all  kind-hearted, 
and  might  listen  to  entreaty.  Above  all,  there  was  the 
Kohen,  so  benevolent,  so  self-denying,  so  amiable,  so 
sympathetic.  I  could  not  forget  all  that  he  had  said 
during  Almah's  illness,  and  it  seemed  more  than  prob- 
able that  an  appeal  to  his  better  nature  might  not  be 
without  effect.     I  said  as  much  to  Almah. 


136  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"The  Koben,"  said  she;  "why,  he  can  do  nothing." 

"  Why  not  ?  He  is  the  chief  man  here,  and  ought  to 
have  great  influence." 

"  You  don't  understand,"  said  she,  with  a  sigh.  "  The 
Kohen  is  the  lowest  and  least  influential  man  in  the 
city." 

"  Why,  who  are  influential  if  he  is  not  ?"  I  asked. 

"  The  paupers,"  said  Almah. 

"  The  paupers  !"  I  exclaimed,  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,"  said  Almah.  "  Here  among  these  people  the 
paupers  form  the  most  honored,  influential,  and  envied 
portion  of  the  community." 

This  was  incomprehensible.  Almah  tried  to  explain, 
but  to  no  purpose,  and  I  determined  to  talk  to  the 
Kohen. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  137 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE   KOHEN   IS   INEXORABLE. 

I  DETERMINED  to  talk  to  the  Kolien,  and  try  for  my- 
self whether  he  might  not  be  accessible  to  pity.  This 
greatest  of  cannibals  might,  indeed,  have  his  little  pe- 
culiarities, I  thought — and  who  has  not  ? — yet  at  bottom 
he  seemed  full  of  tender  and  benevolent  feeling  ;  and 
as  he  evidently  spent  his  whole  time  in  the  endeavor  to 
make  us  happy,  it  seemed  not  unlikely  that  he  might  do 
something  for  our  happiness  in  a  case  where  our  very 
existence  was  at  stake. 

The  Kohen  listened  with  deep  attention  as  I  stated 
my  case.  I  did  this  fully  and  frankly.  I  talked  of  my 
love  for  Almah  and  of  Almah's  love  for  me;  our  hope 
that  we  might  be  united  so  as  to  live  happily  in  recip- 
rocal affection;  and  I  was  going  on  to  speak  of  the 
dread  that  was  in  my  heart  when  he  interrupted  me  : 

"  You  speak  of  being  united,"  said  he.  "  You  talk 
strangely.  Of  course  you  mean  that  you  wish  to  be 
separated." 

"  Separated  !"  I  exclaimed.  "  What  do  you  mean  ? 
Of  course  we  wish  to  be  united." 

The  Kohen  stared  at  me  as  I  said  this  with  the  look 
of  one  who  was  quite  puzzled  ;  and  I  then  went  on  to 
speak  of  the  fate  that  was  before  us,  and  to  entreat  his 
sympathy  and  his  aid  that  we  might  be  saved  from  so 
hideous  a  doom.  To  all  these  words  the  Kohen  listened 
with  an  air  of  amazement,  as  though  I  were  saying  in- 
comprehensible things. 


138  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  You  have  a  gentle  and  an  affectionate  nature,"  I 
said — "  a  nature  full  of  sympathy  with  others,  and  no- 
ble self-denial." 

"  Of  course,"  said  the  Kohen,  quickly,  as  though  glad 
to  get  hold  of  something  which  he  could  understand, 
"  of  course  we  are  all  so,  for  we  are  so  made.  It  is  our 
nature.  Who  is  there  who  is  not  self-denying?  No 
one  can  help  that." 

This  sounded  strange  indeed;  but  I  did  not  care  to 
criticise  it.     I  came  to  my  purpose  direct  and  said, 

"  Save  us  from  our  fate." 

"  Your  fate  ?" 

"  Yes,  from  death — that  death  of  horror." 

"  Death — ^horror  !  What  do  you  mean  by  horror  ?" 
said  the  Kohen,  in  an  amazement  that  was  sincere  and  un- 
feigned. I  cannot  comprehend  your  meaning.  It  seems 
as  though  you  actually  dislike  death;  but  that  is  not  con- 
ceivable.    It  cannot  be  possible  that  you  fear  death." 

"  Fear  death  !"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  do — I  do.  Who  is 
there  that  does  not  fear  it  ?" 

The  Kohen  stared. 

"  I  do  not  understand  you,"  he  said. 

"  Do  you  not  understand,"  said  I,  "  that  death  is  ab- 
horrent to  humanity." 

"Abhorrent!"  said  the  Kohen;  "that  is  impossible. 
Is  it  not  the  highest  blessing  ?  AVho  is  there  that  does 
not  long  for  death  ?  Death  is  the  greatest  blessing,  the 
chief  desire  of  man — the  highest  aim.  And  you — are 
you  not  to  be  envied  in  having  your  felicity  so  near  ? 
above  all,  in  having  such  a  death  as  that  which  is  ap- 
pointed for  you — so  noble,  so  sublime?  You  must  be 
mad ;  your  happiness  has  turned  your  head." 

All  this  seemed  like  hideous  mockery,  and  I  stared  at 
the  Kohen  wdth  a  gaze  that  probably  strengthened  his 
opinion  of  my  madness. 


Found  in  a  Gopinr  Cylinder.  139 

"  Do  you  love  death  ?"  I  asked  at  length,  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"Love  death?  What  a  question  !  Of  course  I  love 
death — all  men  do;  who  does  not?  Is  it  not  human 
nature  ?  Do  we  not  instinctively  fly  to  meet  it  when- 
ever we  can  ?  Do  we  not  rush  into  the  jaws  of  sea- 
monstei's,  or  throw  ourselves  within  their  grasp  ?  Who 
does  not  feel  within  him  this  intense  longing  after  death 
as  the  strongest  passion  of  his  heart  ?" 

"  I  don't  know — I  don't  know,"  said  I.  "  You  are  of 
a  different  race ;  I  do  not  understand  what  you  say. 
But  I  belong  to  a  race  that  fears  death.  I  fear  death 
and  love  life;  and  I  entreat  you,  I  implore  you  to  help 
me  now  in  my  distress,  and  assist  me  so  that  I  may  save 
my  life  and  that  of  Alraah." 

"  I — I  help  you  !"  said  the  Kohen,  in  new  amazement. 
"  Why  do  you  come  to  me — to  me,  of  all  men  ?  Why, 
I  am  nothing  here.  And  help  you  to  live — to  live  ! 
Who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing  ?" 

And  the  Kohen  looked  at  me  with  the  same  astonish- 
ment which  I  should  evince  if  a  man  should  ask  me  to 
help  him  to  die. 

Still,  I  persisted  in  my  entreaty  for  his  help. 

"  Such  a  request,"  said  he,  "  is  revolting  ;  you  must 
be  mad.  Such  a  request  outrages  all  the  instincts  of 
humanity.  And  even  if  I  could  do  such  violence  to  my 
own  nature  as  to  help  you  to  such  a  thing,  how  do  you 
think  I  could  face  my  fellow -men,  or  how  could  I 
endure  the  terrible  punishment  which  would  fall  upon 
me?" 

"  Punishment !"  said  I.  "  What !  would  you  be  pun- 
ished ?" 

"  Punished  !"  said  the  Kohen.  "  That,  of  course, 
would  be  inevitable.  I  should  be  esteemed  an  unnat- 
ux'al  monster  and  the  chief  of  criminals.     My  lot  in  life 


140  A  Strange  Manuscript 

now  is  painful  enough;  but  in  this  case  my  punishment 
would  involve  rae  in  evils  without  end.  Riches  would 
be  poured  upon  me;  I  should  be  raised  to  the  rank  of 
Kohen  Gadol;  I  should  be  removed  farther  away  than 
ever  from  the  pauper  class — so  far,  indeed,  that  all  hope 
in  life  would  be  over.  I  should  be  made  the  first  and 
noblest  and  richest  in  all  the  land." 

He  spoke  these  words  just  as  if  he  had  said,  "  the  low- 
est, meanest,  poorest,  and  most  infamous."  It  sounded 
like  fresh  mockery,  and  I  could  not  believe  but  that  he 
was  amusing  himself  at  my  expense. 

"  This  is  cruel,"  said  I.     "  You  are  mocking  me." 

"  Cruel — cruel !"  said  he;  "  what  is  cruel  ?  You  mean 
that  such  a  fate  would  be  cruel  for  me." 

"  No,  no,"  said  I;  "but  alas  !  I  see  we  cannot  under- 
stand one  another." 

"  No,"  said  the  Kohen,  musingly,  as  he  looked  at  me. 
"No,  it  seems  not;  but  tell  me,  Atam-or,  is  it  possible 
that  you  really  fear  death — that  you  really  love  life  ?" 

*'  Fear  death  !  love  life  !"  I  cried.  "  Who  does  not? 
Who  can  help  it  ?     Why  do  you  ask  me  that  ?" 

The  Kohen  clasped  his  hands  in  amazement. 

"If  you  really  fear  death,"  said  he,  "what  possible 
thing  is  there  left  to  love  or  to  hope  for  ?  W^hat,  then, 
do  you  think  the  highest  blessing  of  man  ?" 

"  Long  life,"  said  I,  "  and  riches  and  requited  love." 

At  this  the  Kohen  started  back,  and  stared  at  me  as 
though  I  were  a  raving  madman. 

"  Oh,  holy  shades  of  night  !"  he  exclaimed.  "  What 
is  that  you  say  ?     W^hat  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  We  can  never  understand  one  another,  I  fear,"  said 
I.  "The  love  of  life  must  necessarily  be  the  strongest 
passion  of  man.  We  are  so  made.  We  give  up  every- 
thing for  life.  A  long  life  is  everywhere  considered  as 
the  highest  blessing ;  and  there  is  no  one  who  is  will- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  141 

ing  to  die,  no  matter  what  his  suffering  may  be.  Riches 
also  are  desired  by  all,  for  poverty  is  the  direst  curse 
that  can  embitter  life  ;  and  as  to  requited  love,  surely 
that  is  the  sweetest,  purest,  and  most  divine  joy  that  the 
human  heart  may  know." 

At  this  the  Kohen  burst  forth  in  a  strain  of  high  ex- 
citement : 

"  Oh,  sacred  cavern  gloom  !  Oh,  divine  darkness  ! 
Oh,  impenetrable  abysses  of  night !  What,  oh,  what  is 
this  !  '  Oh,  Atam-or,  are  you  mad  ?  Alas  !  it  must  be 
so.  Joy  has  turned  your  brain;  you  are  quite  demented. 
You  call  good  evil,  and  evil  good;  our  light  is  your 
darkness,  and  our  darkness  your  light.  Yet  surely  you 
cannot  be  altogether  insane.  Come,  come,  let  us  look 
further.  How  is  it!  Try  now  to  recall  your  reason.  A 
long  life — a  life,  and  a  long  one  !  Surely  there  can  be 
no  human  being  in  a  healthy  state  of  nature  who  wishes 
to  prolong  his  life  ;  and  as  to  riches,  is  it  possible  that 
any  one  exists  who  really  and  honestly  desires  riches  ? 
Impossible  !  And  requited  love  !  Oh,  Atam-or,  you  are 
mad  to-day !  You  are  always  strange,  but  now  you 
have  quite  taken  leave  of  your  senses.  I  cannot  but 
love  you,  and  yet  I  can  never  understand  you.  Tell 
me,  and  tell  me  truly,  what  is  it  that  you  consider  evils, 
if  these  things  that  you  have  just  mentioned  are  not 
the  very  worst  ?" 

He  seemed  deeply  in  earnest  and  much  moved.  I 
could  not  understand  him,  but  could  only  answer  his 
questions  with  simple  conciseness. 

"  Poverty,  sickness,  and  death,"  said  I,  "  are  evils ; 
but  the  worst  of  all  evils  is  unrequited  love." 

At  these  words  the  Kohen  made  a  gesture  of  despair. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  understand  this,"  said  he.  "  You 
talk  calmly;  you  have  not  the  air  of  a  madman.  If 
your  fellow-countrymen  are  all  like  you,  then  your  race 


142  -4  Strange  Manuscript 

is  an  incomprehensible  one.  Why,  death  is  the  great- 
est blessing.  We  all  long  for  it;  it  is  the  end  of  our 
being.  As  for  riches,  they  are  a  curse,  abhorred  by  all. 
Above  all,  as  to  love,  we  shrink  from  the  thought  of  re- 
quital. Death  is  our  chief  blessing,  poverty  our  great- 
est happiness,  and  unrequited  love  the  sweetest  lot  of 
man." 

All  this  sounded  like  the  ravings  of  a  lunatic,  yet  the 
Kohen  was  not  mad.  It  seemed  also  like  the  mockery 
of  some  teasing  demon;  but  the  gentle  and  self-denying 
Kohen  was  no  teasing  demon,  and  mockery  with  him 
was  impossible.  I  was  therefore  more  bewildered  than 
ever  at  this  reiteration  of  sentiments  that  were  so  utter- 
ly incomprehensible.  He,  on  the  other  hand,  seemed  as 
astonished  at  my  sentiments  and  as  bewildered,  and  we 
could  find  no  common  ground  on  which  to  meet. 

"I  remember  now,"  said  the  Kohen,  in  a  musing 
tone,  "  having  heard  of  some  strange  folk  at  the  Amir, 
who  profess  to  feel  as  you  say  you  feel,  but  no  one  be- 
lieves that  they  are  in  earnest;  for  although  they  may 
even  bring  themselves  to  think  that  they  are  in  earnest 
in  their  professions,  yet  after  all  every  one  thinks  that 
they  are  self-deceived.  For  you  see,  in  the  first  place, 
these  feelings  Avhich  you  profess  are  utterly  unnatural. 
We  are  so  made  that  we  cannot  help  loving  death;  it 
is  a  sort  of  instinct.  We  are  also  created  in  such  a  way 
that  we  cannot  help  longing  after  poverty.  The  pauper 
must  always,  among  all  men,  be  the  most  envied  of 
mortals.  Nature,  too,  has  made  us  such  that  the  pas- 
sion of  love,  when  it  arises,  is  so  vehement,  so  all-con- 
suming, that  it  must  always  struggle  to  avoid  requital. 
This  is  the  reason  why,  when  two  people  find  that  they 
love  each  other,  tbcy  always  separate  and  avoid  one  an- 
other for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  This  is  human  nature. 
We  cannot  help  it;  and  it  is  this  that  distinguishes  us 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  143 

from  the  animals.  Why,  if  men  were  to  feel  as  you 
say  you  feel,  they  would  be  mere  animals.  Animals 
fear  death;  animals  love  to  accumulate  such  things  as 
they  prize;  animals,  when  they  love,  go  in  pairs,  and 
remain  with  one  another.  But  man,  with  his  intellect, 
would  not  be  man  if  he  loved  life  and  desired  riches 
and  sought  for  requited  love." 

I  sank  back  in  despair.  "  You  cannot  mean  all  this," 
I  said. 

He  threw  at  me  a  piteous  glance.  "  What  else  can 
you  believe  or  feel  ?"  said  he. 

"  The  very  opposite.  We  are  so  made  that  we  hate 
and  fear  death;  to  us  he  is  the  King  of  Terrors.  Pov- 
erty is  terrible  also,  since  it  is  associated  with  want  and 
woe;  it  is,  therefore,  natural  to  man  to  strive  after  riches. 
As  to  the  passion  of  love,  that  is  so  vehement  that  the 
first  and  only  thought  is  requital.  Unrequited  love  is 
anguish  beyond  expression — anguish  so  severe  that  the 
heart  will  often  break  under  it." 

The  Kohen  clasped  his  hands  in  new  bewilderment. 

"  I  cannot  understand,"  said  he.  "  A  madman  might 
imagine  that  he  loved  life  and  desired  riches;  but  as  to 
love,  why  even  a  madman  could  not  think  of  requital, 
for  the  very  nature  of  the  passion  of  love  is  the  most 
utter  self-surrender,  and  a  shrinking  from  all  requital; 
wherefore,  the  feeling  that  leads  one  to  desire  requital 
cannot  be  love.  I  do  not  know  what  it  can  be — indeed, 
I  never  heard  of  such  a  thing  before,  and  the  annals  of 
the  human  race  make  no  mention  of  such  a  feeling.  For 
what  is  love  ?  It  is  the  ardent  outflow  of  the  whole 
being — the  yearning  of  one  human  heart  to  lavish  all 
its  treasures  upon  another.  Love  is  more  than  self- 
denial  ;  it  is  self-surrender  and  utter  self-abnegation. 
Love  gives  all  away,  and  cannot  possibly  receive  any- 
thing in  return.     A  requital  of  love  would  mean  selfish- 


1-44  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ness,  wbich  would  be  self-contradiction.  The  more  one 
loves,  the  more  he  must  shrink  from  requital." 

"What!"  cried  I,  "among  you  do  lovers  never 
marry  ?" 

"  Lovers  marry  ?    Never  !" 

"  Do  married  people  never  love  one  another  ?" 

The  Kohen  shook  his  head. 

"  It  unfortunately  sometimes  happens  so,"  said  he, 
"  and  then  the  result  is,  of  course,  distressing.  For  the 
children's  sake  the  parents  will  often  remain  with  one 
another,  but  in  many  cases  they  separate.  No  one  can 
tell  the  misery  that  ensues  where  a  husband  and  wife 
love  one  another." 

The  conversation  grew  insupportable.  I  could  not 
follow  the  Kohen  in  what  seemed  the  wildest  and  mad- 
dest flights  of  fancy  that  ever  were  known ;  so  I  began 
to  talk  of  other  things,  and  gradually  the  Kohen  was 
drawn  to  speak  of  his  own  life.  The  account  which  he 
gave  of  himself  Avas  not  one  whit  less  strange  than  his 
previous  remarks,  and  for  this  reason  I  add  it  here. 

"  I  was  born,"  said  he,  "  in  the  most  enviable  of  posi- 
tions. My  father  and  mother  were  among  the  poorest 
in  the  land.  Both  died  Avhen  I  was  a  child,  and  I  never 
saw  them.  I  grew  up  in  the  open  fields  and  public 
caverns,  along  with  the  most  esteemed  paupers.  But, 
unfortunately  for  me,  there  was  something  Avanting  in 
my  natural  disposition.  I  loved  death,  of  course,  and 
poverty,  too,  very  strongly ;  but  I  did  not  have  that 
eager  and  energetic  passion  which  is  so  desirable,  nor 
was  I  watchful  enough  over  my  blessed  estate  of  pov- 
erty. Surrounded  as  I  was  by  those  who  were  only  too 
ready  to  take  advantage  of  my  ignorance  or  want  of 
vigilance,  I  soon  fell  into  evil  ways,  and  gradually,  in 
spite  of  myself,  I  found  wealth  pouring  in  upon  me. 
Designing  men  succeeded  in  winning  my  consent  to  re- 


Found  in  a  Copjier  Cylinder.  145 

ceive  their  possessions ;  and  so  I  gradually  fell  away 
from  that  lofty  position  in  which  I  was  born.  I  grew 
richer  and  richer.  My  friends  warned  me,  but  in  vain. 
I  Avas  too  weak  to  resist;  in  fact,  I  lacked  moral  fibre, 
and  had  never  learned  how  to  say  'No.'  So  I  went  on, 
descending  lower  and  lower  in  the  scale  of  being.  I  be- 
came a  capitalist,  an  Athon,  a  general  officer,  and  finally 
Kohen. 

"At  length,  on  one  eventful  day,  I  learned  that  one 
of  my  associates  had  by  a  long  course  of  reckless  folly 
become  the  richest  man  in  all  the  country.  He  had  be- 
come Athon,  malek,  and  at  last  Kohen  Gadol.  It  was 
a  terrible  shock,  but  I  trust  a  salutary  one.  I  at  once 
resolved  to  reform.  That  resolution  I  have  steadily 
kept,  and  have  at  least  saved  myself  from  descending 
any  loAver.  It  is  true,  I  can  hardly  hope  to  become 
what  I  once  was.  It  is  only  too  easy  to  grow  rich; 
and,  you  know,  jjoverty  once  forfeited  can  never  return 
except  in  rare  instances.  I  have,  however,  succeeded  in 
getting  rid  of  most  of  my  wealth,  chiefly  through  the 
fortunate  advent  of  Almah  and  afterwards  of  yourself. 
This,  I  confess,  has  been  my  salvation.  Neither  of  you 
had  any  scruples  about  accepting  what  was  bestowed, 
and  so  I  did  not  feel  as  though  I  was  doing  you  any 
wrong  in  giving  you  all  I  had  in  the  world.  Most  of 
the  people  of  this  city  have  taken  advantage  of  your 
extraordinary  indifference  to  wealth,  and  have  made 
themselves  paupers  at  your  expense.  I  had  already  be- 
come your  slave,  and  had  received  the  promise  of  being 
elevated  to  the  rank  of  scullion  in  the  cavern  of  the 
Mista  KoseJc.  But  now,  since  this  event  of  your  love 
for  Almah,  I  hope  to  gain  far  more.  I  am  almost  cer- 
tain of  being  made  a  pauper,  and  I  think  I  can  almost 
venture  to  hope  some  day  for  the  honor  of  a  public 
death." 
7 


146  A  Strange  Manuscript 

To  such  a  story  I  had  nothing  to  say.  It  was  sheer 
madness;  yet  it  was  terribly  suggestive,  and  showed 
how  utterly  hopeless  was  my  effort  to  secure  the  assist- 
ance of  such  a  man  towards  my  escape  from  death. 

"A  public  death!"  I  said,  grimly.  "That  will  be 
very  fortunate  !  And  do  you  think  that  you  will  gain 
the  dignity  of  being  eaten  up  afterwards  ?" 

The  Kohen  shook  his  head  in  all  seriousness. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  he;  "that  Avould  be  far  beyond  my 
deserts.  That  is  an  honor  which  is  only  bestowed  upon 
the  most  distinguished." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  147 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   KOSEKIN. 

These  people  call  themselves  the  Kosekin.  Their 
chief  characteristic,  or,  at  least,  their  most  prominent 
one,  is  their  love  of  darkness,  which  perhaps  is  due  to 
their  habit  of  dwelling  in  caves.  Another  feeling, 
equally  strong  and  perhaps  connected  with  this,  is  their 
love  of  death  and  dislike  of  life.  This  is  visible  in 
many  "ways,  and  affects  all  their  character.  It  leads  to 
a  passionate  self-denial,  an  incessant  effort  to  benefit 
others  at  their  own  expense.  Each  one  hates  life  and 
longs  for  death.  He,  therefore,  hates  riches,  and  all 
things  that  are  associated  with  life. 

Among  the  Kosekin  every  one  makes  perpetual  efforts 
to  serve  others,  which,  however,  are  perpetually  baffled 
by  the  unselfishness  of  these  others.  People  thus  spend 
years  in  trying  to  overreach  one  another,  so  as  to  make 
others  richer  than  themselves.  In  a  race  each  one  tries 
to  keep  behind;  but  as  this  leads  to  confusion,  there  is 
then  a  universal  effort  for  each  one  to  be  first,  so  as  to 
put  his  neighbor  in  the  honorable  position  of  the  rear. 
It  is  the  same  way  in  a  hunt.  Each  one  presses  for- 
ward, so  as  to  honor  his  companion  by  leaving  him  be- 
hind. Instead  of  injuring,  every  one  tries  to  benefit  his 
neighbor.  When  one  has  been  benefited  by  another, 
ho  is  filled  with  a  passion  which  may  be  called  Kosekin 
revenge — namely,  a  sleepless  and  vehement  desire  to 
bestow  some  adequate  and  corresponding  benefit  on  the 
other.    Feuds  are  thus  kept  up  among  families  and  wars 


148  A  Strange  Manuscript 

among  nations.  For  no  one  is  willing  to  accept  from 
another  any  kindness,  any  gift,  or  any  honor,  and  all  are 
continually  on  the  watch  to  prevent  themselves  from 
being  overreached  in  this  way.  Those  who  are  less 
watchful  than  others  are  overwhelmed  with  gifts  by 
designing  men,  who  wish  to  attain  to  the  pauper  class. 
The  position  of  Almah  and  myself  illustrates  this.  Our 
ignorance  of  the  blessings  and  honors  of  poverty  led  us 
to  receive  whatever  was  offered  us.  Taking  advantage 
of  our  innocence  and  ignorance,  the  whole  city  there- 
upon proceeded  to  bestow  their  property  upon  us,  and 
all  became  paupers  through  our  fortunate  arrival. 

No  one  ever  injures  another  unless  by  accident,  and 
when  this  occurs  it  affords  the  highest  joy  to  the  in- 
jured party.  He  has  now  a  claim  on  the  injurer;  he 
gets  him  into  his  power,  is  able  to  confer  benefits  on 
him  and  force  upon  him  all  that  he  wishes.  The  un- 
happy injurer,  thus  punished  by  the  reception  of  wealth, 
finds  himself  heli:)less;  and  where  the  injury  is  great, 
the  injured  man  may  bestow  upon  the  other  all  his 
wealth  and  attain  to  the  envied  condition  of  a  pauper. 

Among  the  Kosekin  the  sick  are  objects  of  the  high- 
est regard.  All  classes  vie  with  one  another  in  their 
attentions.  The  rich  send  their  luxuries;  the  paupers, 
however,  not  having  anything  to  give,  go  themselves 
and  wait  on  them  and  nurse  them.  For  this  there  is  no 
help,  and  the  rich  grumble,  but  can  do  nothing.  The 
sick  are  thus  sought  out  incessantly,  and  most  carefully 
tended.  When  they  die  there  is  great  rejoicing,  since 
death  is  a  blessing;  but  the  nurses  labor  hard  to  pre- 
serve them  in  life,  so  as  to  prolong  the  enjoyment  of 
the  high  privilege  of  nursing.  Of  all  sick  the  incurable 
are  most  honored,  since  they  require  nursing  always. 
Children  also  are  highly  honored  and  esteemed,  and  the 
aged  too,  since  both  classes  require  the  care  of  others, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  149 

and  must  be  the  recipients  of  favors  which  all  are  anx- 
ious to  bestow.  Those  who  suffer  from  contagious  dis- 
eases are  more  sought  after  than  any  other  class,  for  in 
waiting  on  these  there  is  the  chance  of  gaining  the  bless- 
ing of  death;  indeed,  in  these  cases  much  trouble  is  usu- 
ally experienced  from  the  rush  of  those  who  insist  on 
offering  their  services. 

For  it  must  never  be  forgotten  that  the  Kosekin  love 
death  as  we  love  life;  and  this  accounts  for  all  those 
ceremonies  which  to  me  were  so  abhorrent,  especially 
the  scenes  of  the  Mista  Ii'ose/c.  To  them  a  dead  human 
body  is  no  more  than  the  dead  body  of  a  bird:  there  is 
no  awe  felt,  no  sense  of  sanctity,  of  superstitious  horror; 
and  so  I  learned,  with  a  shudder,  that  the  hate  of  life  is 
a  far  worse  thing  than  the  fear  of  death.  This  desire 
for  death  is,  then,  a  master-passion,  and  is  the  key  to  all 
their  words  and  acts.  They  rejoice  over  the  death  of 
friends,  since  those  friends  have  gained  the  greatest  of 
blessings  ;  they  rejoice  also  at  the  birth  of  children, 
since  those  who  are  born  will  one  day  gain  the  bliss  of 
death. 

For  a  couple  to  fall  in  love  is  the  signal  for  mutual 
self-surrender.  Each  insists  on  giving  up  the  loved  one ; 
and  the  more  passionate  the  love  is,  the  more  eager  is 
the  desire  to  have  the  loved  one  married  to  some  one 
else.  Lovers  have  died  broken-hearted  from  being  com- 
pelled to  marry  one  another.  Poets  here  among  the 
Kosekin  celebrate  unhappy  love  which  has  met  with  this 
end.  These  poets  also  celebrate  defeats  instead  of  vic- 
tories, since  it  is  considered  glorious  for  one  nation  to 
sacrifice  itself  to  another;  but  to  this  there  are  impor- 
tant limitations,  as  we  sliall  see.  Poets  also  celebrate 
street-sweepers,  scavengers,  lamp-lighters,  laborers,  and 
above  all,  paupers,  and  pass  by  as  unworthy  of  notice 
the  authors,  Meleks,  and  Kohens  of  the  land. 


150  -4  Strange  Manuscript 

The  paupers  here  form  tlie  most  honorable  class. 
Next  to  these  are  the  laborers.  These  have  strikes,  as 
with  us  ;  but  it  is  always  for  harder  work,  longer  hours, 
or  smaller  pay.  The  contest  between  capital  and  labor 
rages,  but  the  conditions  are  reversed  ;  for  the  grum- 
bling capitalist  complains  that  the  laborer  will  not  take 
as  much  pay  as  he  ought  to,  while  the  laborer  thinks  the 
capitalist  too  persistent  in  his  efforts  to  force  money 
upon  him. 

Here  among  the  Kosekin  the  wealthy  class  forms  the 
mass  of  the  people,  while  the  aristocratic  few  consist  of 
the  paupers.  These  are  greatly  envied  by  the  others, 
and  have  many  advantages.  The  cares  and  burdens  of 
wealth,  as  well  as  wealth  itself,  are  here  considered  a 
curse,  and  from  all  these  the  paupers  are  exempt.  There 
is  a  perpetual  effort  on  the  part  of  the  wealthy  to  induce 
the  paupers  to  accept  gifts,  just  as  among  us  the  poor 
try  to  rob  the  rich.  Among  the  wealthy  there  is  a  great 
and  incessant  murmur  at  the  obstinacy  of  the  paupers. 
Secret  movements  are  sometimes  set  on  foot  which  aim  at 
a  redistribution  of  property  and  a  levelling  of  all  classes, 
so  as  to  reduce  the  haughty  paupers  to  the  same  condi- 
tion as  the  mass  of  the  nation.  More  than  once  there 
has  been  a  violent  attempt  at  a  revolution,  so  as  to  force 
wealth  on  the  paupers  ;  but  as  a  general  thing  these 
movements  have  been  put  down  and  their  leaders  se- 
verely punished.  The  paupers  have  shown  no  mercy  in 
their  hour  of  triumph  ;  they  have  not  conceded  one  jot 
to  the  public  demand,  and  the  unhappy  conspirators  have 
been  condemned  to  increased  wealth  and  luxury,  Avhile 
the  leaders  have  been  made  Meleks  and  Kohens.  Thus 
there  are  among  the  Kosekin  the  unfortunate  many  who 
are  cursed  with  wealth,  and  the  fortunate  few  who  are 
blessed  with  poverty.  These  walk  while  the  others  ride, 
and  from  their  squalid  huts  look  proudly  and  contempt- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  151 

uously  upon  the  palaces  of  their  unfortunate  fellow- 
countrymen. 

The  love  of  death  leads  to  perpetual  efforts  on  the 
part  of  each  to  lay  down  his  life  for  another.  This  is  a 
grave  difficulty  in  hunts  and  battles.  Confined  prison- 
ers dare  not  fly,  for  in  such  an  event  the  guards  kill 
themselves.  This  leads  to  fresh  rigors  in  the  captivity 
of  the  prisoners  in  case  of  their  recapture,  for  they  are 
overwhelmed  with  fresh  luxuries  and  increased  splen- 
dors. Finally,  if  a  prisoner  persist  and  is  recaptured,  he 
is  solemnly  put  to  death,  not,  as  with  us,  by  way  of  se- 
verity, but  as  the  last  and  greatest  honor.  Here- ex- 
tremes meet  ;  and  death,  whether  for  honor  or  dishonor, 
is  all  the  same — death — and  is  reserved  for  desperate 
cases.  But  among  the  Kosekin  this  lofty  destiny  is 
somewhat  embittered  by  the  agonizing  thought  on  the 
part  of  the  prisoner,  who  thus  gains  it,  that  his  wretched 
family  must  be  doomed,  not,  as  with  us,  to  poverty  and 
want,  but,  on  the  contrary,  to  boundless  Avealth  and 
splendor. 

Among  so  strange  a  people  it  seemed  singular  to  me 
what  offences  could  possibly  be  committed  which  could 
be  regarded  and  punished  as  crimes.  These,  however, 
I  soon  found  out.  Instead  of  robbers,  the  Kosekin  pun- 
ish the  secret  bestowers  of  their  wealth  on  others.  This 
is  regarded  as  a  very  grave  offence.  Analogous  to  our 
crime  of  piracy  is  the  forcible  arrest  of  ships  at  sea 
and  the  transfer  to  them  of  valuables.  Sometimes  the 
Kosekin  pirates  give  themselves  up  as  slaves.  Kidnap- 
ping, assault,  highway  robbery,  and  crimes  of  violence 
have  their  parallel  here  in  cases  where  a  strong  man, 
meeting  a  weaker,  forces  himself  upon  him  as  his  slave 
or  compels  him  to  take  his  purse.  If  the  weaker  re- 
fuse, the  assailant  threatens  to  kill  himself,  which  act 
would  lay  the  other  under  obligations  to  receive  punish- 


152  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ment  from  the  state  in  the  shape  of  gifts  and  honors,  or 
at  least  subject  him  to  unpleasant  inquiries.  Murder 
has  its  counterpart  among  the  Kosekin  in  cases  where 
one  man  meets  another,  forces  money  on  him,  and  kills 
himself.  Forgery  occurs  where  one  uses  another's  name 
so  as  to  confer  money  on  him. 

There  are  many  other  crimes,  all  of  which  are  severely 
punished.  The  worse  the  offence  the  better  is  the  of- 
fender treated.  Among  the  Kosekin  capital  punishment 
is  imprisonment  amid  the  greatest  splendor,  where  the 
prisoner  is  treated  like  a  king,  and  has  many  palaces  and 
great  retinues  ;  for  that  which  we  consider  the  highest 
they  regard  as  the  lowest,  and  with  them  the  chief  post 
of  honor  is  what  we  would  call  the  lowest  menial  office. 
Of  course,  among  such  a  people,  any  suffering  from  want 
is  unknown,  except  when  it  is  voluntary.  The  pauper 
class,  with  all  their  great  privileges,  have  this  restriction, 
that  they  are  forced  to  receive  enough  for  food  and  cloth- 
ing. Some,  indeed,  manage  by  living  in  out-of-the-way 
places  to  deprive  themselves  of  these,  and  have  been 
known  to  die  of  starvation  ;  but  this  is  regarded  as  dis- 
honorable, as  taking  an  undue  advantage  of  a  great  po- 
sition, and  where  it  can  be  proved,  the  children  and 
relatives  of  the  offender  are  severely  punished  accord- 
ing to  the  Kosekin  fashion. 

State  politics  here  move,  like  individual  affairs,  upon 
the  great  principle  of  contempt  for  earthly  things.  The 
state  is  willing  to  destroy  itself  for  the  good  of  other 
states ;  but  as  other  states  are  in  the  same  position,  noth- 
ing can  result.  In  times  of  war  the  object  of  each  army 
is  to  honor  the  other  and  benefit  it  by  giving  it  the 
glory  of  defeat.  The  contest  is  thus  most  fierce.  The 
Kosekin,  through  their  passionate  love  of  death,  are  ter- 
rible in  battle  ;  and  when  they  are  also  animated  by  the 
desire  to  confer  glory  on  their  enemies  by  defeating  them, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  153 

they  generally  succeed  in  their  aim.  This  makes  them 
almost  always  victorious,  and  when  they  are  not  so  not  a 
soul  returns  alive.  Their  state  of  mind  is  peculiar.  If 
they  are  defeated  they  rejoice,  since  defeat  is  their  chief 
glory  ;  but  if  they  are  victorious  they  rejoice  still  more 
in  the  benevolent  thought  that  they  have  conferred  upon 
the  enemy  the  joy,  the  glory,  and  the  honor  of  defeat. 

Here  all  shrink  from  governing  others.  The  highest 
wish  of  each  is  to  serve.  The  Meleks  and  Kohens,  whom 
I  at  first  considered  the  highest,  are  really  the  lowest 
orders  ;  next  to  these  come  the  authors,  then  the  mer- 
chants, then  farmers,  then  artisans,  then  laborers,  and, 
finally,  the  highest  rank  is  reached  in  the  paupers. 
Happy  the  aristocratic,  the  haughty,  the  envied  paupers. 
The  same  thing  is  seen  in  their  armies.  The  privates 
here  are  highest  in  rank,  and  the  ofiicers  come  next  in 
different  gradations.  These  officers,  however,  have  the 
command  and  the  charge  of  affairs  as  with  us  ;  yet  this 
is  consistent  with  their  position,  for  here  to  obey  is  con- 
sidered nobler  than  to  command.  In  the  fleet  the  rowers 
are  the  highest  class  ;  next  come  the  fighting-men  ;  and 
lowest  of  all  are  the  officers.  War  arises  from  motives 
as  peculiar  as  those  which  give  rise  to  private  feuds  ; 
as,  for  instance,  where  one  nation  tries  to  force  a  prov- 
ince upon  another  ;  where  they  try  to  make  each  other 
greater  ;  where  they  try  to  benefit  unduly  each  other's 
commerce  ;  where  one  may  have  a  smaller  fleet  or  army 
than  has  been  agreed  on,  or  where  an  ambassador  has 
been  presented  with  gifts,  or  received  too  great  honor  or 
attention. 

In  such  a  country  as  this,  where  riches  are  disliked 
and  despised,  I  could  not  imagine  how  people  could  be 
induced  to  engage  in  trade.  This,  however,  was  soon 
explained.  The  laborers  and  artisans  have  to  perform 
their  daily  work,  so  as  to  enable  the  community  to  live 


154  A  Strange  Manuscript 

and  move  and  have  its  being.  Their  impelling  motive 
is  the  higli  one  of  benefiting  others  most  directly.  They 
refuse  anything  but  the  very  smallest  pay,  and  insist 
on  giving  for  this  the  utmost  possible  labor.  Trades- 
men also  have  to  supply  the  community  with  articles  of 
all  sorts  ;  merchants  have  to  sail  their  ships  to  the  same 
end,  all  being  animated  by  the  desire  of  effecting  the 
good  of  others.  Each  one  tries  not  to  make  money,  but 
to  lose  it ;  but  as  the  competition  is  sharp  and  universal, 
this  is  difficult,  and  the  larger  portion  are  unsuccessful. 
The  purchasers  are  eager  to  pay  as  much  as  possible, 
and  the  merchants  and  traders  grow  rich  in  spite  of 
their  utmost  endeavors.  The  wealthy  classes  go  into 
business  so  as  to  lose  money,  but  in  this  they  seldom  suc- 
ceed. It  lias  been  calculated  that  only  two  per  cent,  in 
every  community  succeed  in  reaching  the  pauper  class. 
The  tendency  is  for  all  the  labors  of  the  working-class 
to  be  ultimately  turned  upon  the  unfortunate  wealthy 
class.  The  workmen  being  the  creators  of  wealth,  and 
refusing  to  take  adequate  pay,  cause  a  final  accumula- 
tion of  the  wealth  of  the  community  in  the  hands  of  the 
mass  of  the  non-producers,  who  thus  are  fixed  in  their 
unhappy  position,  and  can  hope  for  no  escape  except  by 
death.  The  farmers  till  the  ground,  the  fishermen  fish, 
the  laborers  toil,  and  the  wealth  thus  created  is  pushed 
from  these  incessantly  till  it  all  falls  upon  the  lowest 
class — namely,  the  rich,  including  Athons,  Meleks,  and 
Kohens.  It  is  a  burden  that  is  often  too  heavy  to  be 
borne  ;  but  there  is  no  help  for  it,  and  the  better-minded 
seek  to  cultivate  resignation. 

Women  and  men  are  in  every  respect  absolutely 
equal,  holding  precisely  the  same  offices  and  doing  the 
same  work.  In  general,  however,  it  is  observed  that 
women  are  a  little  less  fond  of  death  than  men,  and  a 
little  less  unwilling  to  receive  gifts.     For  this  reason 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  155 

they  are  very  numerous  among  the  wealthy  class,  and 
abound  in  the  offices  of  administration.  Women  serve 
iu  the  army  and  navy  as  well  as  men,  and  from  their 
lack  of  ambition  or  energetic  perseverance  they  are  usu- 
ally relegated  to  the  lower  ranks,  Such  as  officers  and 
generals.  To  my  mind  it  seemed  as  though  the  Avomen 
Avere  in  all  the  offices  of  honor  and  dignity,  but  in  reality 
it  was  the  very  opposite.  The  same  is  true  in  the  fam- 
ily. The  husbands  insist  on  giving  everything  to  the 
wives  and  doing  everything  for  them.  The  wives  are 
therefore  universally  the  rulers  of  the  household,  while 
the  husbands  have  an  apparently  subordinate,  but,  to  the 
Kosekin,  a  more  honorable  position. 

As  to  the  religion  of  the  Kosekin,  I  could  make  noth- 
ing of  it.  They  believe  that  after  death  they  go  to 
what  they  call  the  world  of  darkness.  The  death  they 
long  for  leads  to  the  darkness  that  they  love  ;  and  the 
death  and  the  darkness  are  eternal.  Still,  they  persist 
in  saying  that  the  death  and  the  darkness  together  form 
a  state  of  bliss.  They  are  eloquent  about  the  happiness 
that  awaits  them  there  in  the  sunless  land — the  world 
of  darkness  ;  but  for  my  own  part,  it  always  seemed  to 
me  a  state  of  nothingness. 


156  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

BELIEF     AND    UNBELIEF. 

The  doctor  was  here  interrupted  by  Featlierstone, 
who,  with  a  yawn,  informed  him  that  it  was  eleven 
o'clock,  and  that  human  endurance  had  its  limits.  Upon 
this  the  doctor  rolled  up  the  manuscript  and  put  it  aside 
for  the  night,  after  which  supper  was  ordered. 

"Well,"  said  Featherstone,  "what  do  you  think  of 
this  last  ?" 

"  It  contains  some  very  remarkable  statements,"  said 
the  doctor. 

"There  are  certainly  monsters  enough  in  it,"  said  Me- 
lick— 

"  '  Gorgons  and  hydraa  and  chimeras  dire  ?' " 

"Well,  why  not?"  said  the  doctor. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Melick,  "  that  the  writer  of 
this  has  peopled  his  world  with  creatures  that  resemble 
the  fossil  animals  more  than  anything  else." 

"  The  so-called  fossil  animals,"  said  the  doctor,  "  may 
not  be  extinct.  There  are  fossil  specimens  of  animals 
that  still  have  living  representatives.  There  is  no  reason 
why  many  of  those  supposed  to  be  extinct  may  not  be 
alive  now.  It  is  well  known  that  many  very  remarkable 
animals  have  become  extinct  within  a  comparatively  re- 
cent period.  These  great  birds,  of  which  More  speaks, 
seem  to  me  to  belong  to  these  classes.  The  dodo  was 
in  existence  fifty  years  ago,  the  moa  about  a  hundred 
years  ago.  These  great  birds,  together  Avith  others,  such 
as  the  epiornis  and  palapteryx,  have  disappeared,  not 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  157 

through  the  ordinary  course  of  nature,  but  by  the  hand 
of  man.  Even  in  our  hemisphere  they  may  yet  be  found, 
AYho  can  tell  but  that  the  moa  or  the  dodo  may  yet  be 
lurking  somewhere  here  in  the  interior  of  Madagascar, 
of  Borneo,  or  of  Pepua  ?" 

"  Can  you  make  out  anything  about  those  great  birds  ?" 
asked  Featherstone.  *'  Do  they  resemble  anything  that 
exists  now,  or  has  ever  existed  ?" 

"  Well,  yes,  I  think  so,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Unfortu- 
nately, More  is  not  at  all  close  or  accurate  in  his  descrip- 
tions; he  has  a  decidedly  unscientific  mind,  and  so  one 
cannot  feel  sure;  yet  from  his  general  statements  I  think 
I  can  decide  pretty  nearly  upon  the  nature  and  the  sci- 
entific name  of  each  one  of  his  birds  and  animals.  It  is 
quite  evident  to  me  that  most  of  these  animals  belong 
to  races  that  no  longer  exist  among  us,  and  that  this 
world  at  the  South  Pole  has  many  characteristics  which 
are  like  those  of  -what  is  known  as  the  Coal  Period.  I 
allude  in  particular  to  the  vast  forests  of  fern,  of  gigan- 
tic grasses  and  reeds.  At  the  same  time  the  general  cli- 
mate and  the  atmosphere  seem  like  what  we  may  find 
in  the  tropics  at  present.  It  is  evident  that  in  More's 
world  various  epochs  are  represented,  and  that  animals 
of  different  ages  are  living  side  by  side." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  opkuk  ?"  asked  Feather- 
stone,  with  a  yawn. 

"  Well,  I  hardly  know." 

"  Why,  it  must  be  a  dodo,  of  course,"  said  Melick, 
"only  magnified." 

"That,"  said  the  doctor,  gravely,  "is  a  thought  that 
naturally  suggests  itself;  but  then  the  opkuk  is  certainly 
far  larger  than  the  dodo." 

"Oh,  More  put  on  his  magnifying  glasses  just  then." 

"  The  dodo,"  continued  the  doctor,  taking  no  notice 
of  this,  "  in  other  respects  corresponds  with  More's  de- 


158  A  Strange  Manuscript 

scription  of  the  02:)kuk.  Clusius  and  Bontius  give  good 
descriptions,  and  there  is  a  well-known  picture  of  one 
in  the  British  Museum.  It  is  a  massive,  chimsy  bird, 
ungraceful  in  its  form,  with  heavy  movements,  wings 
too  short  for  flight,  little  or  no  tail,  and  down  rather 
than  feathers.  The  body,  according  to  Bontius,  is  as 
big  as  that  of  the  African  ostrich,  but  the  legs  are  very 
short.  It  has  a  large  head,  great  black  eyes,  long  bluish- 
white  bill,  ending  in  a  beak  like  that  of  a  vulture,  yellow 
legs,  thick  and  short,  four  toes  on  each  foot,  solid,  long, 
and  armed  with  sharp  black  claws.  The  flesh,  particu- 
larly on  the  breast,  is  fat  and  esculent.  Now,  all  this 
corresponds  with  More's  account,  except  as  to  the  size 
of  the  two,  for  the  opkuks  are  as  large  as  oxen." 

"  Oh,  that's  nothing,"  said  Melick  ;  "  I'm  determined 
to  stand  up  for  the  dodo."     "With  this  he  burst  forth 


" '  Oh,  the  dodo  once  lived,  but  he  doesn't  live  now; 
Yet  why  should  a  cloud  overshadow  our  brow? 
The  loss  of  that  bird  ne'er  should  trouble  our  brains, 
For  though  be  is  gone,  still  our  claret  remains. 

Sing  do-do — jolly  do-do ! 
Hurrah !  in  his  name  let  our  cups  overflow.' 

"As  for  your  definition,  doctor,"  continued  Melick, 
"  I'll  give  you  one  worth  a  dozen  of  yours  : 

" '  'Twas  a  mighty  bird ;  those  strong,  short  legs  were  never  known  to 
fail, 
And  he  felt  a  glow  of  pride  while  thinking  of  that  little  tail, 
And  his  beak  was  marked  with  vigor,  curving  like  a  wondrous  hook ; 
Thick  and  ugly  was  his  body — such  a  form  as  made  one  look  !'  " 

"  Melick,"  said  Featherstone,  "  you're  a  volatile  youth. 
You  mustn't  mind  him,  doctor.  He's  a  professional 
cynic,  sceptic,  and  scoffer.  Oxcnden  and  I,  however, 
are  open  to  conviction,  and  want  to  know  more  about 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  159 

those  birds  and  beasts.  Can  you  make  anything  out  of 
the  opmahera  ?" 

The  doctor  swallowed  a  glass  of  wine,  and  replied, 

"Oh,  yes;  there  are  many  birds,  each  of  which  may 
be  the  opmahera.  There's  the  fossil  bird  of  Massachu- 
setts, of  which  nothing  is  left  but  the  footprints;  but 
some  of  these  are  eighteen  inches  in  length,  and  show 
a  stride  of  two  yards.  The  bird  belonged  to  the  order 
of  the  Gralke,  and  may  have  been  ten  or  twelve  feet  in 
height.  Then  there  is  the  Gastornis  parisiensis,  which 
was  as  tall  as  an  ostrich,  as  big  as  an  ox,  and  belongs  to 
the  same  order  as  the  other.  Then  there  is  the  Palap- 
teryx,  of  which  remains  have  been  found  in  New  Zea- 
land, which  was  seven  or  eight  feet  in  height.  But  the 
one  which  to  my  mind  is  the  real  counterpart  of  the 
opmahera  is  the  Dinornis  gigmitea,  whose  remains  are 
also  found  in  New  Zealand.  It  is  the  largest  bird  known, 
with  long  legs,  a  long  neck,  and  short  wings,  useless  for 
flight.  One  specimen  that  has  been  found  is  upward  of 
thirteen  feet  in  height.  There  is  no  reason  why  some 
should  not  have  been  much  taller.  More  compares  its 
height  to  that  of  a  giraffe.  The  Maoris  call  this  bird 
the  Moa,  and  their  legends  and  traditions  are  full  of 
mention  of  it.  When  they  first  came  to  the  island,  six 
or  seven  hundred  years  ago,  they  found  these  vast  birds 
everywhere,  and  hunted  them  for  food.  To  my  mind 
the  dinornis  is  the  opmahera  of  More.  As  to  riding  on 
them,  that  is  likely  enough;  for  ostriches  are  used  for 
this  purpose,  and  the  dinornis  must  have  been  far 
stronger  and  fleeter  than  the  ostrich.  It  is  possible 
that  some  of  these  birds  may  still  be  living  in  the  re- 
moter parts  of  our  hemisphere." 

"What  about  those  monsters,"  asked  Featherstone, 
"  that  More  speaks  of  in  the  sacred  hunt  ?" 

"  I  think,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  I  understand  pretty 


160  A  Strange  Manuscript 

well  ■what  tliey  were,  and  can  identify  them  all.  As  the 
galley  passed  the  estuary  of  that  great  river,  you  remem- 
ber that  he  mentions  seeing  them  on  the  shore.  One 
may  have  been  the  Ichthyosaurus.  This,  as  the  name 
implies,  is  a  fish-lizard.  It  has  the  head  of  a  lizard,  the 
snout  of  a  doljihin,  the  teeth  of  an  alligator,  enormous 
eyes,  whose  membrane  is  strengthened  by  a  bony  frame, 
the  vertebra?  of  fishes,  sternum  and  shoulder-bones  like 
those  of  the  lizard,  and  the  fins  of  a  whale.  Bayle  calls 
it  the  whale  of  the  saurians.  Another  may  have  been 
the  Cheirotherium.  On  account  of  the  hand-shaped 
marks  made  by  its  paws,  Owen  thinks  that  it  was  akin 
to  the  frogs;  but  it  was  a  formidable  monster,  with  head 
and  jaws  of  a  crocodile.  Another  may  have  been  the 
2'eleosaurus,  which  resembled  our  alligators.  It  was 
thirty-five  feet  in  length.  Then  there  was  the  JIi/Icbo- 
saurus,  a  monster  twenty-five  feet  in  length,  with  a  cui- 
rass of  bony  plates," 

"But  none  of  these  correspond  with  More's  descrip- 
tion of  the  monster  that  fought  with  the  galley." 

"No,"  said  the  doctor,  "I  am  coming  to  that  now. 
That  monster  could  have  been  no  other  than  the  Plesio- 
saurus,  one  of  the  most  wonderful  animals  that  has  ever 
existed.  Imagine  a  thing  with  the  head  of  a  lizard,  the 
teeth  of  a  crocodile,  the  neck  of  a  swan,  the  trunk  and 
tail  of  a  quadruped,  and  the  fins  of  a  whale.  Imagine 
a  whale  with  its  head  and  neck  consisting  of  a  serpent, 
with  the  strength  of  the  former  and  the  malignant  fury 
of  the  latter,  and  then  you  will  have  the  plcsiosaurus. 
It  was  an  aquatic  animal,  yet  it  had  to  remain  near  or 
on  the  surface  of  the  water,  while  its  long,  serpent-like 
neck  enabled  it  to  reach  its  prey  above  or  below  with 
swift,  far-reaching  darts.  Yet  it  had  no  armor,  and 
could  not  have  been  at  all  a  match  for  the  ichthyosau- 
rus. More's  account  shows,  however,  that  it  was  a  fear- 
ful enemy  for  man  to  encounter." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  161 

"He  seems  to  have  been  less  formidable  than  that 
beast  which  they  encountered  in  the  swamp.  Have  you 
any  idea  what  that  was  ?" 

"  I  think  it  can  have  been  no  other  than  the  Iguano- 
doyi,'''*  said  the  doctor.  The  remains  of  this  animal  show 
that  it  must  have  been  the  most  gigantic  of  all  primeval 
saurians.  Judging  from  existing  remains  its  length  was 
not  less  than  sixty  feet,  and  larger  ones  may  have  ex- 
isted. It  stood  high  on  its  legs ;  the  hind  ones  were 
larger  than  the  fore.  The  feet  were  massive  and  armed 
with  tremendous  claws.  It  lived  on  the  land  and  fed 
on  herbage.  It  had  a  horny,  spiky  ridge  all  along  its 
back.  Its  tail  was  nearly  as  long  as  its  body.  Its  head 
was  short,  its  jaws  enormous,  furnished  with  teeth  of  a 
very  elaborate  structure,  and  on  its  muzzle  it  carried  a 
curved  horn.  Such  a  beast  as  this  might  well  have 
caused  all  that  destruction  of  life  on  the  part  of  his  des- 
perate assailants  of  which  More  speaks. 

"  Then  there  was  another  animal,"  continued  the  doc- 
tor, who  was  evidently  discoursing  upon  a  favorite  topic. 
"It  was  the  one  that  came  suddenly  upon  More  while 
he  was  resting  with  Almah  after  his  flight  with  the  run- 
away bird.  That  I  take  to  be  the  Megaloscmrus.  This 
animal  was  a  monster  of  tremendous  size  and  strength. 
Cuvier  thought  that  it  might  have  been  seventy  feet  in 
length.  It  was  carnivorous,  and  therefore  more  fero- 
cious than  the  iguanodon,  and  more  ready  to  attack. 
Its  head  was  like  that  of  a  crocodile,  its  body  massive 
like  that  of  an  elephant,  yet  larger;  its  tail  was  small, 
and  it  stood  high  on  its  legs,  so  that  it  could  run  with 
great  speed.  It  was  not  covered  with  bony  armor,  but 
had  probably  a  hide  thick  enough  to  serve  the  purpose 
of  shell  or  bone.  Its  teeth  were  constructed  so  as  to 
cut  with  their  edges,  and  the  movement  of  the  jaws  pro- 
duced the  combined  effect  of  knife  and  saw,  while  their 


Hj2  A  Strange  Manuscript 

inward  curve  rendered  impossible  the  escape  of  prey 
that  had  once  been  caught.  It  probably  frequented  the 
river  banks,  "where  it  fed  upon  reptiles  of  smaller  size, 
which  inhabited  the  same  places. 

"  More,"  continued  the  doctor,  "  is  too  general  in  his 
descriptions.  He  has  not  a  scientific  mind,  and  he  gives 
but  few  data ;  yet  I  can  bring  before  myself  very  easily 
all  the  scenes  which  he  describes,  particularly  that  one 
in  which  the  megalosaurus  approaches,  and  he  rushes  to 
mount  the  dinornis  so  as  to  escape.  I  see  that  river, 
with  its  trees  and  shrubs,  all  unknown  now  except  in 
museums — the  vegetation  of  the  Coal  Period — the  lepi- 
dodendron,  the  lepidostrobus,  the  pecopteris,  the  neurop- 
teris,  the  lonchopteris,  the  odontopteris,  the  sphenopteris, 
the  cyclopteris,  the  sigellaria  veuiformis,  the  sphenophyl- 
lium,  the  calamites — " 

Melick  started  to  his  feet. 

"  There,  there  !"  he  cried,  "  hold  hard,  doctor.  Talk- 
ing of  calamities,  what  greater  calamity  can  there  be 
than  such  a  torrent  of  unknown  words  ?  Talk  English, 
doctor,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  appreciate  you ;  but  to 
make  your  jokes,  your  conundrums,  and  your  brilliant 
witticisms  in  a  foreign  language  isn't  fair  to  us,  and 
does  no  credit  either  to  your  head  or  your  heart." 

The  doctor  elevated  his  eyebrows,  and  took  no  notice 
of  Melick's  ill-timed  levity. 

"All  these  stories  of  strange  animals,"  said  Oxenden, 
"may  be  very  interesting,  doctor,  but  I  must  say  that 
I  am  far  more  struck  by  the  account  of  the  people 
themselves,  I  wonder  whether  they  are  an  aboriginal 
race,  or  descendants  of  the  same  stock  from  which  we 
came  ?" 

"  I  should  say,"  remarked  the  doctor,  confidently, 
"that  they  are,  beyond  a  doubt,  an  aboriginal  and  au- 
tochthonous race." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  163 

"  I  differ  from  you  altogether,"  said  Oxenden,  calmly. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  doctor,  "  there  can  be  no  doubt  about 
it.  Their  complexion,  small  stature,  and  peculiar  eyes 
— their  love  of  darkness,  their  singular  characteristics, 
both  physical  and  moral,  all  go  to  show  that  they  can 
have  no  connection  with  the  races  in  our  part  of  the 
earth." 

"  Their  peculiar  eyes,"  said  Oxenden, "  are  no  doubt 
produced  by  dwelling  in  caves  for  many  generations." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  said  the  doctor,  "  it  is  their  pecu- 
liarity of  eye  that  makes  them  dwell  in  caves." 

"  You  are  mistaking  the  cause  for  the  effect,  doc- 
tor." 

"  Not  at  all ;  it  is  you  who  are  making  that  mistake," 

"  It's  the  old  debate,"  said  Melick — as  the  poet  has  it, 

"  '  Which  was  first,  the  egg  or  the  hen  ? 
Tell  me,  I  pray,  ye  learned  men !' " 

"  There  are  the  eyeless  fishes  of  the  great  cave  of 
Kentucky,"  said  Oxenden,  "  Avhose  eyes  have  become 
extinct  fi'om  living  in  the  dark." 

"No,"  cried  the  doctor,  "the  fish  that  have  arisen  in 
that  lake  have  never  needed  eyes,  and  have  never  had 
them." 

Oxenden  laughed. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  I'll  discuss  the  question  with  you 
on  different  grounds  altogether,  and  I  will  show  clearly 
that  these  men,  these  bearded  men,  must  belong  to  a 
stock  that  is  nearly  related  to  our  own,  or,  at  least,  that 
they  belong  to  a  race  of  men  with  whom  we  are  all  very 
familiar." 

"I  should  like  very  much  to  have  you  try  it,"  said 
the  doctor. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Oxenden.  In  the  first  place,  I  take 
their  laneruajre." 


164  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"Their  language  !" 

"  Yes.  More  has  given  us  very  many  words  in  their 
language.  Now  he  himself  says  that  these  words  had 
an  Arabic  sound.  He  was  slightly  acquainted  with  that 
language.  What  will  you  say  if  I  tell  you  that  these 
words  are  still  more  like  Hebrew  ?" 

"  Hebrew  !"  exclaimed  the  doctor,  in  amazement. 

"  Yes,  Hebrew,"  said  Oxenden.  "  They  are  all  very 
much  like  Hebrew  words,  and  the  difference  is  not 
greater  than  that  which  exists  between  the  words  of 
any  two  languages  of  the  Aryan  family." 

"  Oh,  if  you  come  to  philology  I'll  throw  up  the 
sponge,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Yet  I  should  like  to  hear 
what  you  have  to  say  on  that  point." 

"  The  languages  of  the  Aryan  family,"  said  Oxenden, 
"  have  the  same  general  characteristics,  and  in  all  of 
them  the  differences  that  exist  in  their  most  common 
words  are  subject  to  the  action  of  a  regular  law.  The 
action  of  this  law  is  best  seen  in  the  changes  which  take 
place  in  the  mutes.  These  changes  are  indicated  in  a 
summary  and  comprehensive  way,  by  means  of  what  is 
called  '  Grimm's  Law.'  Take  Latin  and  English,  for  in- 
stance. 'Grimm's  Law'  tells  us,  among  other  things, 
that  in  Latin  and  in  that  part  of  English  which  is  of 
Teutonic  origin,  a  large  number  of  words  are  essentially 
the  same,  and  differ  merely  in  certain  phonetic  changes. 
Take  the  word  '  father.'  In  Latin,  as  also  in  Greek,  it 
is  '  pater.'  Now  the  Latin  '  p '  in  English  becomes  '  f  ;' 
that  is,  the  thin  mute  becomes  the  aspirated  mute.  The 
same  change  may  be  seen  in  the  Latin  '  piscis,'  Avliich  in 
English  is  'fish,'  and  the  Greek  'rrup,'  which  in  English 
is  '  fire.'  Again,  if  the  Latin  or  Greek  word  begins  with 
an  aspirate,  the  English  word  begins  with  a  medial ; 
thus  the  Latin  '  f '  is  found  responsive  to  the  English 
'b,'  as  in  Latin  'fagus,'  English  'beech,'  Latin  'fero,' 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  165 

English  '  bear.'  Again,  if  the  Latin  or  Greek  has  the 
medial,  the  English  has  the  thin,  as  in  Latin  '  duo,'  Eng- 
lish 'two,'  Latin  'genu,'  English  'knee.'  Now,  I  find 
that  in  many  of  the  words  which  More  mentions  this 
same  '  Grimm's  Law '  will  apply  ;  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  if  they  were  spelled  with  perfect  accuracy 
they  would  show  the  same  relation  between  the  Kosekin 
language  and  the  Hebrew  that  there  is  between  the 
Saxon  English  and  the  Latin." 

The  doctor  gave  a  heavy  sigh. 

"  You're  out  of  my  depth,  Oxenden,"  said  he.  "  I'm 
nothing  of  a  philologist." 

"  By  Jove  !"  said  Featherstone,  "  I  like  this.  This  is 
equal  to  your  list  of  the  plants  of  the  Coal  Period,  doc- 
tor. But  I  say,  Oxenden,  while  you  are  about  it,  why 
don't  you  give  us  a  little  dose  of  Anglo-Saxon  and  San- 
scrit ?  By  Jove  !  the  fellow  has  Bopp  by  heart,  and 
yet  he  expects  us  to  argue  with  him." 

"  I  have  it !"  cried  Melick.  "  The  Kosekin  are  the 
lost  Ten  Tribes.  Oxenden  is  feeling  his  way  to  that. 
He  is  going  to  make  them  out  to  be  all  Hebrew ;  and 
then,  of  course,  the  only  conclusion  will  be  that  they 
are  the  Ten  Tribes,  who  after  a  life  of  strange  vicissi- 
tudes have  pulled  up  at  the  South  Pole.  It's  a  wonder 
More  didn't  think  of  that — or  the  writer  of  this  yarn, 
whoever  he  may  be.  Well,  for  my  part,  I  always  took 
a  deep  interest  in  the  lost  Ten  Tribes,  and  thought  them 
a  fine  body  of  men." 

"  Don't  think  they've  got  much  of  the  Jew  about 
them,"  said  Featherstone,  languidly.  They  hate  riches 
and  all  that,  you  know.  Break  a  Jew's  heart  to  hear  of 
all  that  property  Avasted,  and  money  going  a  begging. 
Not  a  bad  idea,  though,  that  of  theirs  about  money. 
Too  much  money's  a  howwid  baw,  by  Jove  !" 

"Well,"  continued  Oxenden,  calmly  resuming,  and 


1C6  A  Strange  Manuscript 

taking  no  notice  of  these  interruptions,  "  I  can  give  you 
word  after  word  that  More  has  mentioned  which  corre- 
sponds to  a  kindred  Hebrew  word  in  accordance  with 

*  Grimm's  Law.'     For  instance,  Kosekin  '  Op,'  Hebrew 

*  Oph  ;'  Kosekin  '  Athon,'  Hebrew  *  Adon ;'  Kosekin 
'  Salon,'  Hebrew  '  Shalom.'  They  are  more  like  Hebrew 
than  Arabic,  just  as  Anglo-Saxon  words  are  more  like 
Latin  or  Greek  than  Sanscrit." 

"  Hurrah  !"  cried  Melick,  "  we've  got  him  to  Sanscrit 
at  last !  Now,  Oxenden,  my  boy,  trot  out  the  '  Heto- 
padesa,'  the  '  Megha  Dhuta,'  the  '  Rig  Veda.'  Quote 
Beowulf  and  Caedmon.  Give  us  a  little  Zeno,  and 
wind  up  with  '  Lalla  Rookh '  in  modern  Persian." 

"  So  I  conclude,"  said  Oxenden,  calmly,  ignoring  Me- 
lick, "  that  the  Kosekin  are  a  Semitic  people.  Their 
complexion  and  their  beards  show  them  to  be  akin  to 
the  Caucasian  race,  and  their  language  proves  beyond 
the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  they  belong  to  the  Semitic 
branch  of  that  race.  It  is  impossible  for  an  autoch- 
thonous people  to  have  such  a  language." 

"  But  how,"  cried  the  doctor,  "  how  in  the  name  of 
wonder  did  they  get  to  the  South  Pole  ?" 

"  Easily  enough,"  interrupted  Melick—"  Shem  landed 
there  from  Noah's  ark,  and  left  some  of  his  children  to 
colonize  the  country.  That's  as  plain  as  a  pikestaff.  I 
think,  on  the  Avhole,  that  this  idea  is  better  than  the 
other  one  about  the  Ten  Tribes.  At  any  rate  they  are 
both  mine,  and  I  warn  all  present  to  keep  their  hands 
off  them,  for  on  my  return  I  intend  to  take  out  a  copy- 
right." 

"  There's  another  thing,"  continued  Oxenden,  "  which 
is  of  immense  importance,  and  that  is  their  habit  of 
cave -dwelling.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  they  re- 
sorted to  cave-dwelling  at  first  from  some  hereditary 
instinct  or  other,  and  that  their  eyes  and  their  whole 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  167 

morals  have  become  affected  by  this  mode  of  life.  Now, 
as  to  ornamented  caverns,  we  have  many  examjiles — 
caverns  adorned  with  a  splendor  fully  equal  to  anything 
among  the  Kosekin.  There  are  in  India  the  great  Behar 
caves,  the  splendid  Karli  temple  with  its  magnificent 
sculptures  and  imposing  architecture,  and  the  cavern- 
temples  of  Elephanta ;  there  are  the  subterranean  works 
in  Egypt,  the  temple  of  Dendera  in  particular ;  in  Petra 
we  have  the  case  of  an  entire  city  excavated  from  the 
rocky  mountains :  yet,  after  all,  these  do  not  bear  upon 
the  point  in  question,  for  they  are  isolated  cases ;  and 
even  Petra,  though  it  contained  a  city,  did  not  contain 
a  nation.  But  there  is  a  case,  and  one  which  is  well 
known,  that  bears  directly  upon  this  question,  and  gives 
us  the  connecting  link  between  the  Kosekin  and  their 
Semitic  brethren  in  the  northern  hemisphere." 

"  What  is  that  ?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"The  Troglodytes,"  said  Oxenden,  with  impressive 
solemnity. 

"Well,  and  what  do  you  make  out  of  the  Troglo- 
dytes ?" 

"  I  will  explain,"  said  Oxenden.  "  The  name  Troglo- 
dytes is  given  to  various  tribes  of  men,  but  those  best 
known  and  celebrated  under  this  name  once  inhabited 
the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea,  both  on  the  Arabian  and  the 
Egyptian  side.  They  belonged  to  the  Arabian  race, 
and  were  consequently  a  Semitic  people.  Mark  that, 
for  it  is  a  point  of  the  utmost  importance.  Now,  these 
Troglodytes  all  lived  in  caverns,  which  were  formed 
partly  by  art  and  partly  by  nature,  although  art  must 
have  had  most  to  do  with  the  construction  of  such  vast 
subterranean  works.  They  lived  in  great  communities 
in  caverns,  and  they  had  long  tunnels  passing  from  one 
community  to  another.  Here  also  they  kept  their  cat- 
tle.    Some  of  these  people  have  survived  even  to  our 


168  A  Strange  Manuscript 

own  age  ;  for  Bruce,  the  Abyssinian  traveller,  saw  them 
in  Nubia. 

"The  earliest  writer  who  mentions  the  Troglodytes 
was  Agatharcides,  of  Cnidos.  According  to  him  they 
■were  chiefly  herdsmen.  Their  food  was  the  flesh  of 
cattle,  and  their  drink  a  mixture  of  milk  and  blood. 
They  dressed  in  the  skins  of  cattle  ;  they  tattooed  their 
bodies.  They  were  very  swift  of  foot,  and  were  able 
to  run  down  wild  beasts  in  the  hunt.  They  were  also 
greatly  given  to  robbery,  and  caravans  passing  to  and 
fro  had  to  guard  against  them. 

"  One  feature  in  their  character  has  to  my  mind  a 
strange  significance,  and  that  is  their  feelings  with  re- 
gard to  death.  It  was  not  the  Kosekin  love  of  death, 
yet  it  Avas  something  which  must  certainly  be  consid- 
ered as  approximating  to  it.  For  Agatharcides  says 
that  in  their  burials  they  were  accustomed  to  fasten 
the  corpse  to  a  stake,  and  then  gathering  round,  to  pelt 
it  with  stones  amid  shouts  of  laughter  and  wild  merri- 
ment. They  also  used  to  strangle  the  old  and  infirm, 
80  as  to  deliver  them  from  the  evils  of  life.  These 
Troglodytes,  then,  M'ere  a  nation  of  cave-dwellers,  lov- 
ing the  dark — not  exactly  loving  death,  yet  at  any  rate 
regarding  it  with  merriment  and  pleasure ;  and  so  I 
cannot  help  seeing  a  connection  between  them  and  the 
Kosekin." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  doctor,  "  but  how  did  they  get  to  the 
South  Pole  ?" 

"  That,"  said  Oxenden,  "  is  a  question  which  I  do  not 
feel  bound  to  answer." 

"  Oh,  it  is  easy  enough  to  answer  that,"  said  Melick. 
"  They,  of  course,  dug  through  the  earth." 

Oxenden  gave  a  groan. 

"  I  think  I'll  turn  in  for  the  night,"  said  he,  rising. 
Upon  this  the  others  rose  also  and  followed  his  example. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  169 

On  the  following  morning  the  calm  still  continued. 
None  of  the  party  rose  until  very  late,  and  then  over 
the  breakfast-table  they  discussed  the  manuscript  once 
more,  each  from  his  own  point  of  view,  Melick  still  as- 
serting a  contemptuous  scepticism  —  Oxenden  and  the 
doctor  giving  reasons  for  their  faith,  and  Featherstone 
listening  Avithout  saying  much  on  either  side. 

At  length  it  was  proposed  to  resume  the  reading  of 
the  manuscript,  Avhich  task  would  now  devolve  upon 
Oxenden.  They  adjourned  to  the  deck,  where  all  dis- 
posed themselves  in  easy  attitudes  to  listen  to  the  con- 
tinuation of  More's  narrative. 
8 


170  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A    VOYAGE    OVER   THE   POLE. 

The  discovery  of  our  love  had  bi'ought  a  crisis  in 
our  fate  for  me  and  Almah.  The  Kohcn  hailed  it  with 
joy,  for  now  was  the  time  when  he  would  be  able  to 
present  us  to  the  Kohen  Gadol.  Our  doom  was  certain 
and  inevitable.  We  were  to  be  taken  to  the  amir  j  we 
were  to  be  kept  until  the  end  of  the  dark  season,  and 
then  we  were  both  to  be  publicly  sacrificed.  After  this 
our  bodies  were  to  be  set  apart  for  the  hideous  rites  of 
the  Jlista  JCosek.    Such  Avas  the  fate  that  lay  before  us. 

The  Kohen  was  now  anxious  to  take  us  to  the  conir. 
I  might  possibly  have  persuaded  him  to  postpone  our 
departure,  but  I  saw  no  use  in  that.  It  seemed  better 
to  go,  for  it  was  possible  that  amid  new  scenes  and 
among  new  people  there  might  be  hope.  This,  too, 
seemed  probable  to  Almah,  who  was  quite  anxious  to 
go.  The  Kohen  pressed  forward  the  preparations,  and 
at  length  a  galley  was  ready  for  us. 

This  galley  was  about  three  hundred  feet  in  length 
and  fifty  in  width,  but  not  more  than  six  feet  in  depth. 
It  was  like  a  long  raft.  The  rowers,  two  hundred  in 
number,  sat  on  a  level  with  the  water,  one  hundred  on 
each  side.  The  oars  were  small,  being  not  more  than 
twelve  feet  in  length,  but  made  of  very  light,  tough  ma- 
terial, with  very  broad  blades.  The  galley  Avas  steered 
with  broad-bladed  paddles  at  both  ends.  There  was  no 
mast  or  sail.  Astern  was  a  light  poop,  surrounded  by  a 
pavilion,  and  forward  there  was  another.     At  the  bow 


Found  in  a  Copjjcr  Cylinder.  171 

there  was  a  projecting  platform,  used  chiefly  in  fighting 
the  than7iin,  or  sea-monsters,  and  also  in  war.  There 
were  no  masts  or  flags  or  gay  streamers;  no  brilliant 
colors;  all  was  intensely  black,  and  the  ornaments  were 
of  the  same  hue. 

"We  were  now  treated  with  greater  reverence  than 
ever,  for  we  were  looked  upon  as  the  recipients  of  the 
highest  honor  that  could  fall  to  any  of  the  Kosekin — 
namely,  the  envied  dignity  of  a  public  death.  As  we 
embarked  the  whole  city  lined  the  public  ways,  and 
watched  us  from  the  quays,  from  boats,  and  from  other 
galleys.  Songs  were  sung  by  a  chosen  choir  of  pau- 
pers, and  to  the  sound  of  this  plaintive  strain  we  moved 
out  to  sea. 

"  This  will  be  a  great  journey  for  me,"  said  the  Kohen, 
as  we  left  the  port.  "  I  hope  to  be  made  a  pauper  at 
least,  and  perhaps  gain  the  honor  of  a  public  death.  I 
have  known  people  who  have  gained  death  for  less. 
There  was  an  Athon  last  year  who  attacked  a  pehmet 
with  forty  men  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  rowers. 
All  Avere  killed  or  drowned  except  himself.  In  reward 
for  this  he  gained  the  miidecheb,  or  death  recompense. 
In  addition  to  this  he  was  set  apart  for  the  Jlista  Ji^osek.'^ 

"  Then,  with  you,  when  a  man  procures  the  death  of 
others  he  is  honored  ?" 

"Why,  yes;  how  could  it  be  otherwise?"  said  the 
Kohen.  "Is  it  not  the  same  with  you?  Have  you  not 
told  me  incredible  things  about  your  people,  among 
which  there  were  a  few  that  seemed  natural  and  intelli- 
gible? Among  these  was  your  system  of  honoring 
above  all  men  those  who  procure  the  death  of  the  larg- 
est number.  You,  with  your  pretended  fear  of  death, 
wish  to  meet  it  in  battle  as  eagerly  as  we  do,  and  your 
most  renowned  men  are  those  who  have  sent  most  to 
death." 


172  A  Strange  Manuscript 

To  this  strange  remark  I  had  no  answer  to  make. 

The  air  out  at  sea  now  grew  chillier.  The  Kohen  no- 
ticed it  also,  and  offered  me  his  cloak,  which  I  refused. 
He  seemed  surprised,  and  smiled. 

"You  are  growing  like  one  of  us,"  said  he.  "You 
will  soon  learn  that  the  greatest  happiness  in  life  is  to 
do  good  to  others  and  sacrifice  yourself.  You  already 
show  this  in  part.  When  you  are  with  Almah  you  act 
like  one  of  the  Kosekin.  You  watch  her  to  see  and  an- 
ticipate her  slightest  wish;  you  are  eager  to  give  her 
everything.  She,  on  the  other  hand,  is  equally  eager 
to  give  up  all  to  you.  Each  one  of  you  is  willing  to  lay 
down  life  for  the  other.  You  would  gladly  rush  upon 
death  to  save  her  from  harm,  much  as  you  pretend  to 
fear  death;  and  so  I  see  that  with  Almah  you  will  soon 
learn  how  sweet  a  thing  death  may  be." 

"  To  live  without  her,"  said  I,  "  would  be  so  bitter 
that  death  with  her  would  indeed  be  sweet.  If  I  could 
save  her  life  by  laying  down  my  own,  death  would  be 
sweeter  still;  and  not  one  of  you  Kosekin  would  meet 
it  so  gladly." 

The  Kohen  smiled  joyously. 

"  Oh,  almighty  and  wondrous  power  of  Love  !"  he  ex- 
claimed, "  how  thou  hast  transformed  this  foreigner  ! 
Oh,  Atam-or !  you  will  soon  be  one  of  us  altogether. 
For  see,  how  is  it  now?  You  pretend  to  love  riches 
and  life,  and  yet  you  are  ready  to  give  up  everything 
for  Almah." 

"  Gladly,  gladly  !"  I  exclaimed. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "all  that  you  have  you  would  gladly 
lavish  on  her,  and  would  rejoice  to  make  yourself  a  pau- 
per for  her  sweet  sake.  You  also  would  rejoice  equally 
to  give  up  life  for  her.     Is  it  not  so  ?" 

"  It  is,"  said  I. 

"  Then  I  see  by  this  that  Almah  has  awakened  within 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  173 

you  your  true  human  nature.  Thus  far  it  has  lain  dor- 
mant; it  has  been  concealed  under  a  thousand  false  and 
unnatural  habits,  arising  from  your  strange  native  cus- 
toms. You  have  been  brought  up  under  some  frightful 
system,  where  nature  is  violated.  Here  among  us  your 
true  humanity  is  unfolded,  and  with  Almah  you  are  like 
the  Kosekin.  Soon  you  will  learn  new  lessons,  and  will 
find  out  that  there  is  a  new  and  a  final  self-abnegation 
in  perfect  love;  and  your  love  will  never  rest  till  you 
have  separated  yourself  from  Almah,  so  that  love  can 
have  its  perfect  work." 

The  sea  now  opened  wide  before  us,  rising  up  high 
as  if  half-way  to  the  zenith,  giving  the  impression  of  a 
vast  ascent  to  endless  distances.  Around  the  shores 
spread  themselves,  with  the  shadowy  outlines  of  the 
mountains;  above  was  the  sky,  all  clear,  with  faint  au- 
rora-flashes and  gleaming  stars.  Hand-in-hand  with 
Almah  I  stood  and  pointed  out  the  constellations  as  we 
marked  them,  while  she  told  me  of  the  different  divi- 
sions known  among  the  Kosekin  as  well  as  her  own  peo- 
ple. There,  high  in  the  zenith,  was  the  southern  polar- 
star,  not  exactly  at  the  pole,  nor  yet  of  very  great 
brightness,  but  still  sufficiently  noticeable. 

Looking  back,  w^e  saw,  low  down,  parts  of  the  Phoe- 
nix and  the  Crane;  higher  up,  the  Toucana,  Hydrus, 
and  Pavo.  On  our  right,  low  down,  was  the  beautiful 
Altar;  higher  up,  the  Triangle;  while  on  the  left  were 
the  Sword-fish  and  the  Flying-fish.  Turning  to  look 
forward,  we  beheld  a  more  splendid  display.  Then, 
over  the  bow  of  the  vessel,  between  the  Centaur,  which 
lay  low,  and  Musca  Indica,  which  rose  high,  there  blazed 
the  bright  stars  of  the  Southern  Cross — a  constellation, 
if  not  the  brightest,  at  least  the  most  conspicuous  and 
attractive  in  all  the  heavens.  All  around  there  burned 
other  stars,  separated  widely.     Then,  over  the  stern, 


174  A  Strange  Manuscript 

gleamed  the  splendid  lustre  of  Aclicrnar,  on  the  left  the 
brilliant  glow  of  a  Robur  and  Canopus,  and  low  down 
before  ns  the  bright  light  of  Argo.  It  was  a  scene  full 
of  splendor  and  fascination.  After  a  time  a  change 
came  over  the  sky:  the  aurora-flashes,  at  first  faint, 
gradually  increased  in  brilliancy  till  the  stars  grew  dim, 
and  all  the  sky,  wherever  the  eye  might  turn  from  the 
horizon  to  the  zenith,  seemed  filled  with  lustrous  flames 
of  every  conceivable  hue.  Colossal  beams  radiated  from 
the  pole  towards  the  horizon  till  the  central  light  was 
dissipated,  and  there  remained  encircling  us  an  infinite 
colonnade  of  flaming  pillars  that  towered  to  the  stars. 
These  were  all  in  motion,  running  upon  one  another, 
incessantly  shifting  and  changing;  new  scenes  forever 
succeeded  to  old;  pillars  were  transformed  to  pyramids, 
pyramids  to  fiery  bars;  these  in  their  turn  were  trans- 
formed to  other  shapes,  and  all  the  while  one  tint  of 
innumerable  hues  overspread  the  entire  circle  of  the 
sky. 

Our  voyage  occupied  several  J(>?«s  /  but  our  progress 
was  continuous,  for  different  sets  of  rowers  relieved  one 
another  at  regular  intervals.  On  the  second  Jojyi  a 
storm  broke  out.  The  sky  hacl  been  gathering  clouds 
during  sleeping-time,  and  when  we  awoke  Ave  found  the 
sea  all  lashed  to  fury,  while  all  around  the  darkness  was 
intense.  The  storm  grew  steadily  worse;  the  lightning 
flashed,  the  thunder  pealed,  and  at  length  the  sea  M-as 
so  heavy  that  rowing  was  impossible.  Upon  this  the 
oars  were  all  taken  in,  and  the  galley  lay  tossing  upon 
the  furious  sea,  amid  waves  that  continually  beat  upon 
ber. 

And  now  a  scene  ensued  that  filled  me  with  amaze- 
ment, and  took  away  all  my  thoughts  from  the  storm. 
It  seemed  impossible  that  so  frail  a  bark  could  stand 
the  fury  of  the  waves.    Destruction  was  inevitable,  and 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  175 

I  was  expecting  to  sec  the  usual  signs  of  grief  and  de- 
spair— wondering,  too,  how  these  rowers  would  preserve 
their  subordination.  But  I  had  forgotten  in  my  excite- 
ment the  strange  nature  of  the  Kosekin,  Instead  of 
terror  there  was  joy,  instead  of  wild  despair  there  was 
peace  and  serene  delight. 

The  liffhtninsr-flashes  revealed  a  wonderful  scene. 
There  were  all  the  rowers,  each  one  upon  his  seat,  and 
from  them  all  there  came  forth  a  chant  which  was  full 
of  triumph,  like  a  song  of  public  welcome  to  some  great 
national  hero,  or  a  song  of  joy  over  victory.  The  offi- 
cers embraced  one  another  and  exchanged  words  of  de- 
light. The  Kohen,  after  embracing  all  the  others,  turned 
to  me,  and,  forgetting  my  foreign  ways,  exclaimed,  in  a 
tone  of  enthusiastic  delight, 

"We  are  destroyed  !     Death  is  near  !     Rejoice  !" 

Accustomed  as  I  was  to  the  perils  of  the  sea,  I  had 
learned  to  face  death  without  flinching.  Almah,  too, 
was  calm,  for  to  her  this  death  seemed  preferable  to 
that  darker  fate  which  awaited  us;  but  the  Avords  of  the 
Kohen  jarred  upon  my  feelings. 

"  Do  you  not  intend  to  do  anything  to  save  the  ship?" 
I  asked. 

He  laughed  joyously. 

"  There's  no  occasion,"  said  he.  "  When  the  oars  are 
taken  in  we  always  begin  to  rejoice.  And  why  not? 
Death  is  near — it  is  almost  certain.  Why  should  we  do 
anything  to  distract  our  minds  and  mar  our  joy?  For 
oh,  dear  friend,  the  glorious  time  has  come  when  we  can 
give  up  life — life,  with  all  its  toils,  its  burdens,  its  end- 
less bitternesses,  its  perpetual  evils.  Now  we  shall  have 
no  more  suffering  from  vexatious  and  oppressive  riches, 
from  troublesome  honors,  from  a  surplus  of  food,  from 
luxuries  and  delicacies,  and  all  the  ills  of  life." 

"But  what  is  the  use  of  being  born  at  all?"  I  asked, 


176  A  Strange  Manuscript 

in  a  wonder  that  never  ceased  to  rise  at  every  fresli  dis- 
play of  Kosekin  feeling. 

"  The  use  ?"  said  the  Kohen.  "  Why,  if  we  were  not 
born,  how  could  we  know  the  bliss  of  dying,  or  enjoy 
the  sweetness  of  death  ?  Death  is  the  end  of  being — 
the  one  sweet  hope  and  crown  and  glory  of  life,  the  one 
desire  and  hope  of  every  living  man.  The  blessing  is 
denied  to  none.  Rejoice  with  me,  oh  Atam-or  !  you 
will  soon  know  its  blessedness  as  well  as  I." 

He  turned  away.  I  held  Almah  in  my  arms,  and  we 
watched  the  storm  by  the  lightning-flashes  and  Avaited 
for  the  end.  But  the  end  came  not.  The  galley  was 
light,  broad,  and  buoyant  as  a  life-boat;  at  the  same 
time  it  was  so  strongly  constructed  that  there  was 
scarcely  any  twist  or  contortion  in  the  sinewy  fabric. 
So  we  floated  buoyantly  and  safely  upon  the  summit  of 
vast  waves,  and  a  storm  that  would  have  destroyed  a 
ship  of  the  European  fashion  scarcely  injured  this  in 
the  slightest  degree.  It  was  as  indestructible  as  a  raft 
and  as  buoj-ant  as  a  bubble;  so  we  rode  out  the  gale, 
and  the  death  which  the  Kosekin  invoked  did  not  come 
at  all. 

The  storm  was  but  short-lived;  the  clouds  dispersed, 
and  soon  went  scudding  over  the  sky;  the  sea  went 
down.  The  rowers  had  to  take  their  oars  once  more, 
and  the  reaction  that  followed  upon  their  recent  rejoic- 
ings was  visible  in  universal  gloom  and  dejection.  As 
the  clouds  dispersed  the  aurora  lights  came  out  more 
splendid  than  ever,  and  showed  nothing  but  melancholy 
faces.  The  rowers  pulled  with  no  life  or  animation; 
the  ofticers  stood  about  sighing  and  lamenting;  Almah 
and  I  were  the  only  ones  that  rejoiced  over  this  escape 
from  death. 

Jbms  passed.  "We  saw  other  sights;  we  met  with 
galleys  and  saw  many  ships  about  the  sea.     Some  were 


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Found  in  a  Copinr  Cylinder.  177 

moved  by  sails  only;  these  were  merchant  shijis,  but 
they  had  only  square  sails,  and  could  not  sail  in  any 
other  way  than  before  the  wind.  Once  or  twice  I  caught 
glimpses  of  vast  shadowy  objects  in  the  air.  I  was 
startled  and  terrified;  for,  great  as  were  the  wonders  of 
this  strange  region,  I  had  not  yet  suspected  that  the  air 
itself  might  have  denizens  as  tremendous  as  the  land  or 
the  sea.  Yet  so  it  was,  and  afterwards  during  the  voy- 
age I  saw  them  often.  One  in  particular  was  so  near 
that  I  observed  it  with  ease.  It  came  flying  along  in 
the  same  course  with  us,  at  a  height  of  about  fifty  feet 
from  the  water.  It  was  a  frightful  monster,  with  a  long 
body  and  vast  wings  like  those  of  a  bat.  Its  progress 
was  swift,  and  it  soon  passed  out  of  sight.  To  Almah 
the  monster  created  no  surprise  ;  she  was  familiar  with 
them,  and  told  me  that  they  were  very  abundant  here, 
but  that  they  never  were  known  to  attack  ships.  She 
informed  me  that  they  were  capable  of  being  tamed  if 
caught  when  young,  though  in  her  country  they  were 
never  made  use  of.  The  name  given  by  the  Kosekin  to 
these  monsters  is  athaleh. 

At  length  we  drew  near  to  our  destination.  We 
reached  a  large  harbor  at  the  end  of  a  vast  bay:  here 
the  mountains  extended  around,  and  before  us  there 
arose  terrace  after  terrace  of  twinkling  lights  running 
away  to  immense  distances.  It  looked  like  a  city  of  a 
million  inhabitants,  though  it  may  have  contained  far 
less  than  that.  By  the  brilliant  aurora  light  I  could  see 
that  it  was  in  general  shape  and  form  precisely  like  the 
city  that  we  had  left,  though  far  larger  and  more  popu- 
lous. The  harbor  was  full  of  ships  and  boats  of  all 
sorts,  some  lying  at  the  stone  quays,  others  leaving 
port,  others  entering.  Galleys  passed  and  repassed,  and 
merchant  ships  with  their  clumsy  sails,  and  small  fish- 
ing-boats. From  afar  arose  the  deep  hum  of  a  vast 
8* 


178  A  Strange  Manuscript 

multitude  and  the  low  roar  that  always  ascends  from 
a  populous  city. 

The  galley  hauled  alongside  her  wharf,  and  we  found 
ourselves  at  length  in  the  mighty  amir  of  the  Kosekin. 
The  Kohen  alone  landed ;  the  rest  remained  on  board, 
and  Almah  and  I  with  them. 

Other  galleys  were  here.  On  the  wharf  workmen 
were  moving  about.  Just  beyond  were  caverns  that 
looked  like  warehouses.  -Above  these  was  a  terraced 
street,  where  a  vast  multitude  moved  to  and  fro — a  liv- 
ing tide  as  crowded  and  as  busy  as  that  in  Cheapside. 

After  what  seemed  a  long  time  the  Kohen  returned. 
This  time  he  came  with  a  number  of  people,  all  of 
whom  were  in  cars  drawn  by  opkuks.  Half  were  men 
and  half  women.  These  came  aboard,  and  it  seemed  as 
though  we  were  to  be  separated;  for  the  women  took 
Almah,  while  the  men  took  me. 

Upon  this  I  entreated  the  Kohen  not  to  separate  us. 
I  informed  him  that  we  were  both  of  a  different  race 
from  his,  that  we  did  not  understand  their  ways;  we 
should  be  miserable  if  separated. 

I  spoke  long  and  with  all  the  entreaty  possible  to  one 
with  my  limited  acquaintance  with  the  language.  My 
words  evidently  impressed  them :  some  of  them  even 
wept. 

"You  make  us  sad,"  said  the  Kohen.  "Willingly 
would  we  do  everything  that  you  bid,  for  we  are  your 
slaves  ;  but  the  state  law  prevents.  Still,  in  your  case, 
the  law  will  be  modified;  for  you  are  in  such  honor 
here  that  you  may  be  considered  as  beyond  the  laws. 
For  the  present,  at  least,  we  cannot  separate  you." 

These  words  brought  much  consolation.  After  this 
we  landed,  and  Almah  and  I  were  still  together. 


Found  in  a  Co^tper  Cylinder,  179 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE    WONDERS    OF   THE  "  AMIR." 

We  were  drawn  on  cars  up  to  the  first  terraced  street, 
and  here  we  found  the  vast  multitude  which  we  had 
seen  from  a  distance.  Crossing  this  street,  we  ascended 
and  came  to  another  precisely  like  it;  then,  still  going 
on,  we  came  to  a  third.  Here  there  was  an  immense 
space,  not  overgrown  with  trees  like  the  streets,  but  per- 
fectly open.  In  the  midst  arose  a  lofty  pyramid,  and 
as  I  looked  at  it  I  could  not  refrain  from  shuddering; 
for  it  looked  like  the  public  altar,  upon  which  in  due 
time  I  should  be  compelled  to  make  my  appearance,  and 
be  offered  up  as  a  victim  to  the  terrific  superstitions  of 
the  Kosekin. 

Crossing  this  great  square,  we  came  to  a  vast  portal, 
which  opened  into  a  cavern  with  twinkling  lights.  The 
city  itself  extended  above  this,  for  we  could  see  the  ter- 
raced streets  rising  above  our  heads;  but  here  our  prog- 
ress ended  at  the  great  cavern  in  the  chief  square,  oppo- 
site the  pyramid. 

On  entering  the  cavern  Ave  traversed  an  antechamber, 
and  then  passing  on  we  reached  a  vast  dome,  of  dimen- 
sions so  great  that  I  could  perceive  no  end  in  that  gloom. 
The  twinkling  lights  served  only  to  disclose  the  dark- 
ness and  to  indicate  the  immensity  of  the  cavern.  In 
the  midst  there  arose  two  enormous  columns,  which 
were  lost  in  the  gloom  above. 

It  was  only  by  passing  through  this  that  we  learned 
its  great  extent.     We  at  length  came  to  the  other  end, 


180  A  Strange  ManuscrijJt 

and  here  we  saw  numerous  passages  leading  away.  The 
Kohen  led  us  through  one  of  these,  and  after  pass- 
ing through  several  other  domes  of  smaller  dimensions 
we  at  length  reached  an  apartment  where  we  stopped. 
This  place  was  furnished  with  couches  and  hangings, 
and  lighted  with  flaming  lamps.  The  light  Avas  dis- 
tressing to  those  who  had  accompanied  us,  and  many 
of  them  left,  while  the  few  who  remained  had  to  cover 
their  eyes.  Here  we  found  that  all  preparations  had 
been  made.  The  apartments  were  all  illuminated, 
though  our  love  of  light  never  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of 
amazement  to  the  Kosekin,  and  a  bounteous  repast  was 
spread  for  us.  But  the  Kohen  and  the  others  found  the 
light  intolerable,  and  soon  left  us  to  ourselves. 

After  the  repast  some  women  appeared  to  take  Almah 
to  her  chamber,  and,  with  the  usual  kindness  of  the  Ko- 
sekin, they  assured  her  that  she  would  not  be  expected 
to  obey  the  law  of  separation,  but  that  she  was  to  remain 
here,  where  she  would  be  always  within  reach  of  me. 

After  her  departure  there  came  to  visit  me  the  lowest 
man  in  all  the  land  of  the  Kosekin,  though,  according 
to  our  view,  he  would  be  esteemed  the  highest.  This 
was  the  Kohen  Gadol.  Ilis  history  had  already  been 
told  me.  I  had  learned  that  through  lack  of  Kosekin 
virtue  he  had  gradually  sunk  to  this  position,  and  now 
was  compelled  to  hold  in  his  hands  more  wealth,  power, 
and  display  than  any  other  man  in  the  nation. 

He  was  a  man  of  singular  appearance.  The  light  was 
not  so  troublesome  to  him  as  to  the  others — he  merely 
kept  his  eyes  shaded;  but  he  regarded  me  with  a  keen 
look  of  inquiry  that  was  suggestive  of  shrewdness  and 
cunning.  I  confess  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  relief  that 
I  made  this  discovery;  for  I  longed  to  find  some  one 
among  this  singular  people  who  was  selfish,  who  feared 
death,  who  loved  life,  who  loved  riches,  and  had  some- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  181 

tiling  ill  common  with  me.  This  I  thought  I  perceived 
in  the  shrewd,  cunning  face  of  the  Kohen  Gadol,  and  I 
was  glad;  for  I  saw  that  while  he  could  not  possibly  be 
more  dangerous  to  me  tlian  those  self-sacrificing,  self- 
denying  cannibals  whom  I  had  thus  far  known,  he  might 
prove  of  some  assistance,  and  might  help  me  to  devise 
means  of  escape.  If  I  could  only  find  some  one  who 
was  a  coward,  and  selfish  and  avaricious — if  this  Kohen 
Gadol  could  but  be  he — how  much  brighter  ray  life 
would  be  !  And  so  there  happened  to  me  an  incredible 
thing,  that  my  highest  wish  was  now  to  find  in  the  Ko- 
hen Gadol  cowardice,  avarice,  and  selfishness. 

The  Kohen  was  accompanied  hy  a  young  female,  rich- 
ly attired,  whom  I  afterwards  learned  to  be  his  daugh- 
ter. Her  name  was  Layelah,  and  she  filled  the  office  of 
Malca,  which  signifies  queen;  and  though  honorable 
with  us  above  all,  is  among  the  Kosekin  the  lowest  in 
the  land.  Layelah  was  so  beautiful  that  I  looked  at  her 
in  amazement.  She  was  very  tall  for  one  of  the  Kose- 
kin, which  made  her  stature  equal  to  that  of  an  ordi- 
nary girl  with  us;  her  hair  was  rich,  dark,  and  luxuri- 
ant, gathered  about  her  head  in  great  masses  and  bound 
by  a  golden  band.  Her  features  were  delicate  and  per- 
fect in  their  outline;  her  expression  was  noble  and  com- 
manding. Her  eyes  were  utterly  unlike  those  of  the 
other  Kosekin;  the  upper  lids  had  a  slight  droop,  but 
that  was  all,  and  that  was  the  nearest  approach  to  the 
national  blink.  Her  first  entrance  into  the  room  seemed 
to  dazzle  her,  and  she  shaded  her  eyes  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, but  after  that  she  looked  at  me  fixedly,  and 
seemed  to  suffer  no  more  inconvenience  than  I  did. 
The  perfect  liberty  of  women  among  the  Kosekin  made 
this  visit  from  her  quite  as  natural  as  that  of  her  father; 
'and  though  she  said  but  little  on  this  occasion,  she  was 
an  attentive  listener  and  close  observer. 


182  A  Strange  Manuscript 

Their  visit  was  long,  for  they  were  evidently  full  of 
curiosity.  They  had  heard  much  about  me  and  wished 
to  see  more.  It  Avas  the  first  time  that  I  had  found  among 
the  Kosekin  the  slightest  desire  to  know  where  I  had 
come  from.  Hitherto  all  had  been  content  with  the 
knowledge  that  I  was  a  foreigner.  Now,  however,  I 
found  in  the  Kohen  Gadol  and  Layelah  a  curiosity  that 
was  most  eager  and  intense.  They  questioned  me  about 
my  country,  about  the  great  world  beyond  the  moun- 
tains, about  the  way  in  which  I  had  come  here,  about 
the  manners  and  customs  of  my  countrymen.  They 
were  eager  to  know  about  those  great  nations  of  which 
I  spoke,  who  loved  light  and  life;  about  men  who  loved 
themselves  better  than  others;  of  that  world  where  men 
feared  death  and  loved  life,  and  sought  after  riches  and 
lived  in  the  light. 

The  sleeping-time  came  and  passed,  and  my  visitors 
were  still  full  of  eager  questionings.  It  was  Layelah 
who  at  last  thought  of  tlie  lateness  of  the  hour.  At  a 
word  from  her  the  Kohen  Gadol  rose,  with  many  apolo- 
gies, and  prepared  to  go.     But  before  he  left  he  said  : 

"  "When  I  was  a  child  I  was  shipwrecked,  and  was 
taken  up  by  a  ship  which  conveyed  mo  to  a  nation  be- 
yond the  sea.  There  I  grew  up  to  manhood.  I  learned 
their  language  and  manners  and  customs,  and  when  I 
returned  home  I  found  myself  an  alien  here.  I  do  not 
love  darkness  or  death,  I  do  not  hate  riches,  and  the  re- 
sult is  that  I  am  what  I  am.  If  I  were  like  the  rest  of 
my  countrymen,  my  lot  would  make  mo  miserable;  but 
as  it  is  I  prefer  it  to  any  other,  and  consider  myself  not 
the  lowest  but  the  greatest  in  the  land.  My  daughter 
is  like  me,  and  instead  of  being  ashamed  of  her  station 
she  is  proud  of  it,  and  would  not  give  it  up  even  to  be- 
come a  pauper.  I  will  see  you  again.  I  have  much  to 
say." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  183 

With  these  words  the  Kohen  Gadol  retired,  followed 
Ly  Laj'elah,  leaving  me  more  hopeful  than  I  had  been 
for  a  long  time. 

For  many  joms  following  I  received  visits  from  the 
Kohen  Gadol  and  from  Layelah.  Almah  was  with  me 
until  sleeping-time,  and  then  these  other  visitors  would 
come.  In  this,  at  least,  they  resembled  the  other  Kose- 
kiu,  that  they  never  dreamed  of  interfering  with  Almah 
when  she  might  wish  to  be  with  me.  Their  visits  were 
always  long,  and  we  had  much  to  say;  but  what  I  lost 
of  sleep  I  always  made  up  on  the  following  Jow.  The 
Kohen  Gadol,  with  his  keen,  shrewd  face,  interested  me 
greatly;  but  Layelah,  with  her  proud  face  and  air  of 
command,  was  a  positive  wonder. 

I  soon  learifed  that  the  Kohen  Gadol  was  what  we 
term  "  a  man  of  advanced  views,"  or  perhaps  a  "  Re- 
former," or  a  "  Philosophic  Radical,"  it  matters  not 
which;  suffice  it  to  say  that  his  ideas  and  feelings  dif- 
fered from  those  of  his  nation,  and  if  carried  out  would 
be  equal  to  a  revolution  in  politics  and  morals. 

The  Kohen  Gadol  advocated  selfishness  as  the  true 
law  of  life,  without  which  no  state  can  prosper.  There 
were  a  few  of  similar  views,  but  they  were  all  regarded 
with  great  contempt  by  the  multitude,  and  had  to  suffer 
the  utmost  rigor  of  the  law ;  for  they  were  all  endowed 
with  vast  wealth,  compelled  to  live  in  the  utmost  splen- 
dor and  luxury,  to  have  enormous  retinues,  and  to  wield 
the  chief  power  in  politics  and  in  religion.  Even  this, 
however,  had  not  changed  the  sentiments  of  the  con- 
demned, and  I  learned  that  they  were  laboring  inces- 
santly, notwithstanding  their  severe  punishment,  to  dis- 
seminate their  peculiar  doctrines.  These  were  formu- 
lated as  follows  : 

1.  A  man  sliould  not  love  others  better  than  himself. 

2.  Life  is  not  an  evil  to  be  jrot  rid  of. 


184  A  Strange  Manuscript 

3.  Other  things  are  to  be  preferred  to  death. 

4.  Poverty  is  not  the  best  state  for  man. 

5.  Unrequited  love  is  not  the  greatest  happiness. 

6.  Lovers  noay  sometimes  marry. 

7.  To  serve  is  not  more  lionorable  than  to  command. 

8.  Defeat  is  not  more  glorious  than  victory. 

9.  To  save  a  life  should  not  be  regarded  as  a  criminal  offence. 

10.  The  paupers  should  be  forced  to  take  a  certain  amount  of  wealth, 
to  relieve  the  necessities  of  the  rich. 

These  articles  were  considered  both  by  the  Kohen 
Gadol  and  by  Layelah  to  be  remarkable  for  their  au- 
dacity, and  were  altogether  too  advanced  for  reception 
by  any  except  the  chosen  few.  "With  the  multitude  he 
liad  to  deal  differently,  and  had  to  work  his  way  by  con- 
cealing his  opinions.  He  had  made  a  great  conspiracy, 
in  which  he  was  still  engaged,  and  had  gained  immense 
numbers  of  adherents  by  allowing  them  to  give  him  their 
whole  wealth.  Through  his  assistance  many  Athons 
and  Kohens  and  Meleks  had  become  artisans,  laborers, 
and  even  paupers;  but  all  were  bound  by  him  to  the 
strictest  secrecy.  If  any  one  should  divulge  the  secret, 
it  would  be  ruin  to  him  and  to  many  others  ;  for  they 
would  at  once  be  punished  by  the  bestowal  of  the  ex- 
tremest  wealth,  by  degradation  to  the  rank  of  rulers  and 
commanders,  and  by  the  severest  rigors  of  luxury,  power, 
splendor,  and  magnificence  known  among  the  Kosckin. 
Overwhelmed  thus  with  the  cares  of  government,  crushed 
under  the  weight  of  authority  and  autocratic  rule,  sur- 
rounded by  countless  slaves  all  ready  to  die  for  them, 
their  lives  would  be  embittered  and  their  punishment 
would  be  more  than  they  could  bear.  But  the  philo- 
sophic Kohen  Gadol  dared  all  these  punishments,  and 
pursued  his  way  calmly  and  pertinaciously. 

Nothing  surprised  the  Kohen  Gadol  so  much  as  the 
manner  in  which  I  received  his  confidences.  He  half  ex- 
pected to  startle  me  by  his  boldness,  but  was  himself  con- 


Found  in  a  Cop2)€r  Cylinder.  185 

founded  by  my  words.  I  told  him  that  in  my  country 
self  was  the  chief  consideration,  self-preservation  the  law 
of  nature;  death  the  King  of  Terrors;  wealth  the  object 
of  universal  search,  poverty  the  worst  of  evils;  unre- 
quited love  nothing  less  than  anguish  and  despair;  to 
command  others  the  highest  glory;  victory,  honor;  de- 
feat, intolerable  shame;  and  other  things  of  the  same 
sort,  all  of  which  sounded  in  his  ears,  as  he  said,  with 
such  tremendous  force  that  they  were  like  peals  of  thun- 
der, lie  shook  his  head  despondently;  he  could  not  be- 
lieve that  such  vie-\v8  as  mine  could  ever  be  attained  to 
among  the  Kosekin.  But  Layelah  was  bolder,  and  with 
all  a  woman's  impetuosity  grasped  at  my  fullest  mean- 
ing and  held  it  firm. 

"  He  is  right,"  said  Layelah  —  "  the  heaven-born 
Atam-or.  He  shall  be  our  teacher.  The  rich  shall  be 
esteemed,  the  poor  shall  be  down-trodden;  to  rule  over 
others  shall  be  glorious,  to  serve  shall  be  base;  victory 
shall  be  an  honor,  defeat  a  shame;  selfishness,  self-seek- 
ing, luxury,  and  indulgence  shall  be  virtues;  poverty, 
want,  and  squalor  shall  be  things  of  abhorrence  and 
contempt." 

The  face  of  Layelah  glowed  with  enthusiasm  as  she 
said  these  words,  and  I  saw  in  her  a  daring,  intrepid,  and 
high-hearted  woman,  full  of  a  woman's  headlong  impetu- 
osity and  disregard  of  consequences.  In  me  she  saw 
one  who  seemed  to  her  like  a  prophet  and  teacher  of  a 
new  order  of  things,  and  her  whole  soul  responded  to 
the  principles  which  I  announced.  It  required  immense 
strength  of  mind  and  firmness  of  soul  to  separate  herself 
from  the  prevalent  sentiment  of  her  nation;  and  though 
nature  had  done  much  for  her  in  giving  her  a  larger 
portion  of  original  selfishness  than  was  common  to  her 
people,  still  she  was  a  child  of  the  Kosekin,  and  her  dai'- 
ing  was  all   the  more  remarkable.     And  so  she  went 


186  A  Strange  Manuscrijyt 

further  than  her  father,  and  adopted  my  extreme  views 
when  he  shrank  back,  and  dared  more  unflinchingly  the 
extremest  rigors  of  the  national  law,  and  all  that  the 
Kosekin  could  inflict  in  the  way  of  wealth,  luxury,  su- 
preme command,  palatial  abodes,  vast  retinues  of  slaves, 
and  the  immense  degradation  of  the  queenly  office. 

I  spoke  to  her  in  a  warning  voice  about  her  rashness. 

"  Oh,"  said  she,  "  I  have  counted  the  cost,  and  am 
ready  to  accept  all  that  they  can  inflict.  I  embrace  the 
good  cause,  and  will  not  give  it  up — no,  not  even  if  they 
could  increase  my  wealth  a  thousand-fold,  and  sentence 
me  to  live  a  hundred  seasons.  I  can  bear  their  utmost 
inflictions  of  Avealth,  power,  magnificence;  I  could  even 
bear  being  condemned  to  live  forever  in  the  light.  Oh, 
my  friend,  it  is  the  conviction  of  right  and  the  support 
of  conscience  that  strengthens  one  to  bear  the  greatest 
evils  that  man  can  inflict." 

From  these  words  it  was  evident  to  me  that  Layelah 
was  a  true  child  of  the  Kosekin;  for  though  she  was  of 
advanced  sentiments  she  still  used  the  language  of  her 
people,  and  spoke  of  the  punishments  of  the  law  as 
though  they  were  punishments  in  reality.  Now,  to  me 
and  to  Almah  these  so-called  punishments  seemed  re- 
wards. 

It  was  impossible  for  me  to  avoid  feeling  a  very 
strong  regard  for  this  enthusiastic  and  beautiful  girl; 
all  the  more,  indeed,  because  she  evinced  such  an  undis- 
guised admiration  forme.  She  evidently  considered  me 
some  superior  being,  from  some  superior  race;  and  al- 
though my  broken  and  faulty  way  of  speaking  the  lan- 
guage was  something  of  a  trial,  still  she  seemed  to  con- 
sider every  word  I  uttered  as  a  maxim  of  the  highest 
wisdom.  The  tritest  of  truths,  the  commonest  of  plati- 
tudes, the  most  familiar  of  proverbs  or  old  saws  current 
among  us  were  eagerly  seized  by  Layelah,  and  accepted 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  187 

as  truths  almost  divine — as  new  doctrines  for  the  guid- 
ance of  the  human  race.  These  she  would  discuss  with 
me;  she  would  put  them  into  better  and  more  striking 
language,  and  ask  for  my  opinion.  Then  she  would 
write  them  down. 

For  the  Kosekin  knew  the  art  of  writing.  They  had 
an  alphabet  of  their  own,  which  was  at  once  simple  and 
very  scientific.  There  were  no  vowels,  but  only  conso- 
nant sounds,  the  vowels  being  supplied  in  reading,  just 
as  if  one  should  write  the  words  fthr  or  dghtr,  and  read 
them  father  and  daughter.  Their  letters  were  as  fol- 
lows: P,  K,  T,  B,  G,  D,  F,  Ch,  Th,  M,  L,  N,  S,  H,  R. 
There  were  also  three  others,  which  have  no  equivalents 
in  English. 

It  soon  became  evident  to  me  that  Layelah  had  a  com- 
plete ascendency  over  her  father;  that  she  was  not  only 
the  Malea  of  the  amir,  but  the  presiding  spirit  and  the 
chief  administrative  genius  of  the  whole  nation  of  the 
Kosekin.  She  seemed  to  be  a  new  Semiramis — one  who 
might  revolutionize  an  empire  and  introduce  a  new  or- 
der of  things.  Such,  indeed,  was  her  high  ambition,  and 
she  plainly  avowed  it  to  me;  but  what  was  more,  she 
frankly  informed  me  that  she  regarded  me  as  a  Heaven- 
sent teacher — as  one  who  in  this  darkness  could  tell  her 
of  the  nations  of  light — who  could  instruct  her  in  the 
wisdom  of  other  and  greater  races,  and  help  her  to  ac- 
complish her  grand  designs. 

As  for  Aim  ah,  she  seemed  quite  beneath  the  notice  of 
the  aspiring  Layelah.  She  never  noticed  her,  she  never 
spoke  of  her,  and  she  always  made  her  visits  to  me  after 
Almah  had  gone. 


188  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XX. 

TUE    DxVEK   MAIDEN    LAYELAH. 

Layelah  at  length  began  to  make  pointed  remarks 
about  Alraali. 

"She  loves  you,"  said  she,  "and  you  love  her.  How 
is  it  that  you  do  not  give  each  other  up  ?" 

"  I  would  die  rather  than  give  up  Almah,"  said  I. 

Layelah  smiled.  "  That  sounds  strange  to  the  Kose- 
kin,"  said  she,  "  for  here  to  give  up  your  love  and  to  die 
are  both  esteemed  the  greatest  possible  blessings.  But 
Almah  should  give  you  up.  It  is  the  women  with  us 
who  make  the  beginning.  Women  generally  fall  in 
love  first,  and  it  is  expected  that  they  will  tell  their  love 
first.  The  delicacy  of  a  woman's  feelings  makes  this 
natural,  for  if  a  man  tells  his  love  to  a  woman  who  does 
not  love  him,  it  shocks  her  modesty;  while  if  a  woman 
tells  a  man,  he  has  no  modesty  to  shock." 

"  That  is  strange,"  said  I;  "  but  suppose  the  man  docs 
not  love  the  woman  ?" 

"  Why,  no  woman  wants  to  be  loved;  she  only  wants 
to  love." 

At  this  I  felt  somewhat  bewildered, 

"  That,"  said  Layelah,"  is  unrequited  love,  which  is 
the  chief  blessing  here,  though  for  my  part  I  am  a 
philosopher,  and  would  wish  when  I  love  to  be  loved  in 
return," 

"And  then,"  said  I,  "if  so, would  you  give  up  your 
lover,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  of  your  country  ?" 

Layelah's  dark  eyes  rested  on  me  for  a  moment  with 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  189 

a  glance  of  intense  earnestness  and  profound  meaning. 
She  drew  a  long  breath,  and  then  said,  in  a  low  and 
tremulous  voice, 

"Never  !" 
.  Layelah  was  constantly  with  me,  and  at  length  used 
to  come  at  an  earlier  time,  when  Almah  was  present. 
Her  manner  towards  Almah  was  full  of  the  usual  Kose- 
kin  courtesy  and  gracious  cordiality.  She  Avas  still  in- 
tent upon  learning  from  me  the  manners,  customs,  and 
principles  of  action  of  the  race  to  which  I  belonged. 
She  had  an  insatiable  thirst  for  knowledge,  and  her  cui-i- 
osity  extended  to  all  those  great  inventions  which  are 
the  wonder  of  Christendom.  Locomotives  and  steam- 
boats were  described  to  her  under  the  names  of  "  horses 
of  fire"  and  "ships  of  fire;"  printing  was  "letters  of 
power;"  the  electric  telegraph  "  messages  of  lightning;" 
the  organ  "  lute  of  giants,"  and  so  on.  Yet,  in  spite  of 
the  eagerness  with  which  she  made  her  inquiries,  and 
the  diligence  with  which  she  noted  all  down,  I  could  see 
that  there  was  in  her  mind  something  lying  beneath  it 
all — a  far  more  earnest  purpose,  and  a  far  more  personal 
one,  than  the  pursuit  of  useful  knowledge. 

Layelah  was  watchful  of  Almah;  she  seemed  studying 
her  to  see  how  far  this  woman  of  another  race  differed 
from  the  Kosckin.  She  would  often  turn  from  me  and 
talk  with  Almah  for  a  long  time,  questioning  her  about 
her  people  and  their  ways.  Almah's  manner  was  some- 
what reserved,  and  it  was  rendered  somewhat  more  so 
from  the  fact  that  her  mind  was  always  full  of  the  pros- 
pect of  our  impending  doom.  Each  Jo??i,  as  it  came  and 
went,  brought  us  nearer  to  that  awful  time,  and  tlie  hour 
was  surely  coming  when  we  should  be  taken  to  the  outer 
square  and  to  the  top  of  the  pyramid  of  sacrifice. 

Once  Layelah  sat  for  some  time  silent  and  involved 
in  thought.     At  length  she  began  to  speak  to  me. 


190  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Almah,"  said  she,  "  is  very  different  from  us.  She 
loves  you  and  you  love  her.  She  ought  to  give  you  up. 
Almah,  you  ought  to  give  up  Atam-or,  since  you  love 
him." 

Almah  looked  confused,  and  made  some  reply  to  the 
effect  that  she  belonged  to  a  different  race  with  different 
customs. 

"But  you  should  follow  our  customs.  You  are  one 
of  us  now.  You  can  easily  find  another  who  will  take 
him." 

Almah  threw  a  piteous  glance  at  me  and  said  noth- 
ing. 

"  I,"  said  Layelah,  "  will  take  him." 

She  spoke  these  words  with  an  air  of  magnanimity,  as 
though  putting  it  in  the  light  of  a  favor  to  Almah;  but 
Almah  did  not  make  any  reply,  and  after  some  silence 
Layelah  spoke  of  something  else. 

Not  long  after  we  were  alone  together,  and  Layelah 
returned  to  the  subject.  She  referred  to  Almah's  want 
of  sympathy  with  the  manners  of  the  Kosekin,  and  as-, 
serted  that  she  ought  to  aim  after  a  separation. 

"  I  love  her,"  said  I,  with  great  warmth,  "  and  will 
never  give  her  up." 

"But  she  must  give  you  up;  it  is  the  woman's  place 
to  take  the  first  step.     I  should  be  willing  to  take  you." 

As  Layelah  said  this  she  looked  at  me  very  earnestly, 
as  if  anxious  to  see  how  I  accepted  this  offer.  I  loved 
Almah,  but  Layelah  also  was  most  agreeable,  and  I  liked 
her  very  much;  indeed,  so  much  so  that  I  could  not  bear 
to  say  anything  that  might  hurt  her  feelings.  Among 
all  the  Kosekin  there  was  not  one  who  was  not  infinitely 
inferior  to  her  in  my  eyes.  Still,  I  loved  Almah,  and  I 
told  her  so  again,  thinking  that  in  this  way  I  might  re- 
pel her  Avithout  giving  offence. 

But  Layelah  was  quite  ready  with  her  reply. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  191 

"If  you  love  Almah,"  said  she,  "  that  is  the  very  rea- 
son why  you  should  marry  me." 

This  made  me  feel  more  embarrassed  than  ever. 

I  stammered  somethhig  about  my  own  feelings — the 
manners  and  customs  of  my  race — and  the  fear  that  I 
had  of  acting  against  my  own  principles.  "  Besides,"  I 
added,  "  I'm  afraid  it  would  make  you  unhappy." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Layelah,  briskly;  "on  the  contrary,  it 
would  make  me  very  happy  indeed." 

I  began  to  be  more  and  more  aghast  at  this  tremen- 
dous frankness,  and  was  utterly  at  a  loss  what  to  say. 

"My  father,"  continued  Layelah,  "is  different  from 
the  other  Kosekin,  and  so  am  I.  I  seek  requital  for 
love,  and  do  not  think  it  an  evil." 

A  sudden  thought  now  suggested  itself,  and  I  caught 
at  it  as  a  last  resort. 

"  You  have,"  said  I,  "  some  lover  among  the  Kosekin. 
Why  do  you  not  marry  him  ?" 

Layelah  smiled. 

"  I  have  no  lover  that  I  love,"  said  she,  "  among  the 
Kosekin." 

My  feeble  effort  was  thus  a  miserable  failure.  I  was 
about  saying  something  concerning  the  Kosekin  alpha- 
bet, or  something  else  of  an  equally  appropriate  nature, 
when  she  prevented  me. 

"  Atam-or,"  said  she,  in  a  low  voice. 

"Layelah,"  said  I,  with  my  mind  full  of  confusion. 

"  I  love  you!" 

She  sat  looking  at  me  with  her  beautiful  face  all 
aglow,  her  dark  eyes  fixed  on  mine  with  an  intense  and 
eager  gaze.  I  looked  at  her  and  said  not  one  single 
word.  Layelah  was  the  first  to  break  the  awkward 
silence. 

"  You  love  Almah,  Atam-or;  but  say,  do  you  not  love 
me  ?    You  smile  at  me,  you  meet  me  always  when  I 


192  A  Strange  Manuscript 

come  with  warm  greetings,  and  you  seem  to  enjoy  your- 
self in  my  society.     Say,  Atam-or,  do  you  not  love  me  V" 

This  was  a  perilous  and  a  tremendous  moment.  The 
fact  is,  I  did  like  Layelab  very  much  indeed,  and  I 
wanted  to  tell  her  so;  but  my  ignorance  of  the  language 
did  not  allow  me  to  observe  those  nice  distinctions  of 
meaning  between  the  words  "  like "  and  "  love."  I 
knew  no  other  word  than  the  one  Kosekin  word  mean- 
ing "  love,"  and  could  not  think  of  any  meaning  "  like." 
It  was,  therefore,  a  very  trying  position  for  me. 

"  Dear  Layelab,"  said  I,  floundering  and  stammering 
in  ray  confusion,  I  love  you;  I — " 

But  here  I  was  interrupted  without  waiting  for  any 
further  Avords;  the  beautiful  creature  flung  her  arms 
around  me  and  clung  to  me  with  a  fond  embrace.  As 
for  me,  I  was  utterly  confounded,  bewildered,  and  des- 
perate. I  thought  of  my  darling  Almah,  whom  alone  I 
loved.  It  seemed  at  that  moment  as  though  I  was  not 
only  false  to  her,  but  as  if  I  was  even  endangering  her 
life.    My  only  thought  now  was  to  clear  up  my  meaning. 

"  Dear  Layelab,"  said  I,  as  I  sat  with  her  arms  around 
me,  and  with  my  own  around  her  slender  waist,  "  I  do 
not  want  to  hurt  your  feelings." 

"  Oh,  Atam-or  !  oh,  my  love  !  never,  never  did  I  know 
such  bliss  as  this." 

Here  again  I  was  overwhelmed,  but  I  still  persisted  in 
my  effort. 

"Dear  Layelab,"  said  I,  "  I  love  Almah  most  dearly 
and  most  tenderly." 

"  Oh,  Atam-or,  why  speak  of  that  ?  I  know  it  well, 
and  so  by  our  Kosekin  law  you  give  her  up;  among  us 
lovers  never  marry.  So  you  take  me,  your  own  Layelab, 
and  you  will  have  me  for  your  bride;  and  my  love  for 
you  is  ten  thousand  times  stronger  than  that  of  the  cold 
and  melancholy  Almah.     She  may  marry  my  papa." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  193 

This  suggestion  filled  me  with  dismay. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  I.  "  Never,  never  will  I  give  up 
Almah  !" 

"  Certainly  not,"  said  Layelah;  "you  do  not  give  her 
up — she  gives  you  up." 

"  She  never  will,"  said  I. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Layelah,  "  I  will  t-ell  her  that  you 
wish  it." 

"I  do  not  wish  it,"  said  I.  "I  love  her,  and  will 
never  give  her  up." 

"It's  all  the  same,"  said  Layelah.  "You  cannot 
marry  her  at  all.  No  one  Avill  marry  you.  You  and 
Almah  are  victims,  and  the  state  has  given  you  the 
matchless  honor  of  death.  Common  people  who  love 
one  another  may  marry  if  they  choose,  and  take  the 
punishment  which  the  law  assigns;  but  illustrious  vic- 
tims who  love  cannot  marry,  and  so,  my  Atara-or,  you 
have  only  me." 

I  need  not  say  that  all  this  was  excessively  embarrass- 
ing. I  was  certainly  fond  of  Layelah,  and  liked  her  too 
much  to  hurt  her  feelings.  Had  I  been  one  of  the 
Kosekin  I  might  perhaps  have  managed  better;  but  be- 
ing a  European,  a  man  of  the  Aryan  race — being  such, 
and  sitting  there  with  the  beautiful  Layelah  lavishing 
all  her  affections  upon  me — why,  it  stands  to  reason  that 
I  could  not  have  the  heart  to  wound  her  feelings  in  any 
way.  I  was  taken  at  an  utter  disadvantage.  Never  in 
my  life  had  I  hoai'd  of  women  taking  the  initiative. 
Layelah  had  proposed  to  me;  she  would  not  listen  to  re- 
fusal, and  I  had  not  the  heart  to  wound  her.  I  had 
made  all  the  fight  I  could  by  persisting  in  asserting  my 
love  for  Almah,  but  all  my  assertions  were  brushed 
lightly  aside  as  trivial  things. 

Let  any  gentleman  put  himself  in  my  situation,  and 
ask  himself  what  he  would  do.  What  would  he  do  if 
9 


194:  A  Strange  Manuscript 

such  a  thing  could  happen  to  him  at  home  ?  But  there 
such  a  thing  could  not  happen,  and  so  there  is  no  use  in 
supposing  an  impossible  case.  At  any  rate  I  think  I 
deserve  sympathy.  Who  could  keep  his  presence  of 
mind  under  such  circumstances  ?  AVith  us  a  young  lady 
who  loves  one  man  can  easily  repel  another  suitor;  but 
here  it  was  very  different,  for  how  could  I  repel  Laj'c- 
lah  ?  Could  I  turn  upon  her  and  say  "  Unhand  me  ?" 
Could  I  say  "  Away  !  I  am  another's  ?"  Of  course  I 
couldn't ;  and  what's  worse,  if  I  had  said  such  things 
Layelah  would  have  smiled  me  down  into  silence.  The 
fact  is,  it  doesn't  do  for  women  to  take  the  initiative — 
it's  not  fair.  I  had  stood  a  good  deal  among  the  Kose- 
kin.  Their  love  of  darkness,  their  passion  for  death, 
their  contempt  of  riches,  their  yearning  after  unrequited 
love,  their  human  sacrifices,  their  cannibalism,  all  had 
more  or  less  become  familiar  to  me,  and  I  had  learned 
to  acquiesce  in  silence;  but  noAV  when  it  came  to  this — 
that  a  woman  should  propose  to  a  man — it  really  was 
more  than  a  fellow  could  stand.  I  felt  this  at  that  mo- 
ment very  forcibly;  but  then  the  worst  of  it  was  that 
Layelah  was  so  confoundedly  pretty,  and  had  such  a 
nice  way  Avith  her,  that  hang  me  if  I  knew  what  to  say. 

Meanwhile  Layelah  was  not  silent;  she  had  all  her 
wits  about  her. 

"Dear  papa,"  said  she,  "  would  make  such  a  nice  hus- 
band for  Almah.  He  is  a  widower,  you  know,  I  could 
easily  persuade  him  to  marry  her.  He  always  does 
whatever  I  ask  him  to  do." 

"But  victims  cannot  marry,  you  said." 

"No,"  said  Layelah,  sweetly,  "they  cannot  marry 
one  another;  but  Almah  may  marry  dear  papa,  and 
then  you  and  I  can  be  married,  and  it  Avill  be  all  very 
nice  indeed." 

At  this  I  started  awav. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  195 

"  No,"  said  I,  indignantly,  "  it  won't  be  nice.  I'm  en- 
gaged to  be  married  to  Almah,  and  I'm  not  going  to 
give  her  up." 

"  Oh,  but  she  gives  you  up,  you  know,"  said  Layelah, 
quietly. 

"  Well,  but  I'm  not  going  to  be  given  up." 

"  Why,  how  unreasonable  you  are,  you  foolish  boy  !" 
said  Layelah,  in  her  most  caressing  manner.  "You 
have  nothing  at  all  to  do  with  it." 

At  this  I  was  in  fresh  despair,  and  then  a  new  thougut 
came,  which  I  seized  upon. 

"  See  here,"  said  I,  "  why  can't  I  marry  both  of  you  ? 
I'm  engaged  to  Almah,  and  I  love  her  better  than  all  the 
world.     Let  me  marry  her  and  you  too." 

At  this  Layelah  laughed  long  and  merrily.  Peal  after 
peal  of  laughter,  musical  and  most  merry,  burst  from 
her.  It  was  contagious;  I  could  not  help  joining  in, 
and  so  we  both  sat  laughing.  It  was  a  long  time  before 
we  regained  our  self-control. 

"  Why,  that's  downright  bigamy  !"  exclaimed  Laye- 
lah, with  fresh  laughter.  "  Why,  Atara-or,  you're  mad !" 
and  so  she  went  off  again  in  fresh  peals  of  laughter. 
It  was  evident  that  my  proposal  was  not  at  all  shocking, 
but  simply  comical,  ridiculous,  and  inconceivable  in  its 
absurdity.  It  was  to  her  what  the  remark  of  some  de- 
spairing beauty  would  be  among  us,  who,  when  pressed 
by  two  lovers,  should  express  a  confused  willingness  to 
marry  both.  It  was  evident  that  Layelah  accepted  it  as 
a  ludicrous  jest. 

Laughter  was  all  very  well,  of  course;  but  I  Avas  seri- 
ous and  felt  that  I  ought  not  to  part  with  Layelah  with- 
out some  better  understanding,  and  so  I  once  more  made 
an  effort. 

"All  this,"  said  I,  in  a  mournful  tone,  "is  a  mere 
mockery.    What  have  I  to  say  about  love  and  marriage  ? 


196  A  Strange  Manuscrijyt 

If  you  loved  rae  as  you  say,  you  would  not  laugh,  but 
weep.  You  forget  what  I  am.  "What  am  I?  A  vic- 
tim, and  doomed — doomed  to  a  hideous  fate — a  fate  of 
horror  unutterable.  You  cannot  even  begin  to  imagine 
the  anguish  with  which  I  look  forward  to  that  fate 
which  impends  over  me  and  Almah.  Marriage — idle 
Word  !  What  have  I  to  do  with  marriage  ?  What  has 
Almah?  There  is  only  one  marriage  before  us — the 
dread  marriage  with  death  !  Why  talk  of  love  to 
the  dying  ?  The  tremendous  ordeal,  the  sacrifice,  is 
before  us,  and  after  that  there  remains  the  hideous 
Mlsta  Kosek  f^ 

At  this  Layelah  sprang  up,  with  her  whole  face  and 
attitude  full  of  life  and  energy. 

"I  know,  I  know,"  said  she,  quickly;  "I  have  ar- 
ranged for  all.  Your  life  shall  be  saved.  Do  you 
think  that  I  have  consented  to  your  death?  Never! 
You  are  mine.  I  will  save  you.  I  will  show  you  what 
we  can  do.     You  shall  escape." 

"  Can  you  really  save  me?"  I  cried. 

"lean." 
.   "  What !  in  spite  of  the  whole  nation  ?" 

Layelah  laughed  scornfully. 

"  I  can  save  you,"  said  she.  "  We  can  fly.  There 
are  other  nations  beside  ours.  We  can  find  some  land 
among  the  Gojin  where  we  can  live  in  peace.  The  Go- 
jin  are  not  like  us." 

"  But  Almah  ?"  said  I. 

The  face  of  Layelah  clouded. 

"  I  can  only  save  you,"  said  she. 

"  Then  I  will  stay  and  die  with  Almah,"  said  I,  ob- 
stinately. 

"  What !"  said  Layelah,  "  do  you  not  fear  death  ?" 

"Of  course  I  do,"  said  I,  "but  I'd  rather  die  than 
lose  Almah." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  197 

"  But  it's  impossible  to  save  both  of  yon." 

"Then  leave  me  and  save  Almah,"  said  I. 

"  What !  would  you  give  up  your  life  for  Almah  ?" 

"  Yes,  and  a  thousand  lives,"  said  I. 

"Why,"  said  Layelah,  "now  you  talk  just  like  the 
Kosekin.  You  might  as  well  be  one  of  us.  You  love 
death  for  the  sake  of  Almah.  Why  not  be  more  like 
the  Kosekin,  and  seek  after  a  separation  from  Almah  ?" 

Layelah  was  not  at  all  offended  at  my  declaration  of 
love  for  Almah.  She  uttered  these  words  in  a  lively 
tone,  and  then  said  that  it  was  time  for  her  to  go. 


198  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    FLYING    MONSTER. 

I  RETIRED  to  bed,  but  could  not  sleep.  The  offer  of 
escape  filled  me  with  excited  thoughts.  These  made 
sleep  impossible,  and  as  I  lay  awake  I  thought  that  per- 
haps it  would  be  well  to  know  what  might  be  Layelah's 
plan  of  escape,  for  I  might  then  make  use  of  it  to  save 
Alraah.  I  determined  to  find  out  all  about  it  on  the 
following  Jom — to  question  her  as  to  the  lands  of  the 
Gojin,  to  learn  all  her  purpose.  It  might  be  that  I 
could  make  use  of  that  very  plan  to  save  Almah;  but  if 
not,  why  then  I  was  resolved  to  remain  and. meet  my 
fate  with  her.  If  Layelah  could  be  induced  to  take 
both  of  us,  I  was  of  course  resolved  to  go,  trusting  to 
chance  as  to  the  claims  of  Layelah  upon  me,  and  deter- 
mined at  all  hazards  to  be  faithful  to  Almah;  but  if  she 
should  positively  refuse  to  save  Almah,  then  I  thought 
it  possible  that  I  might  be  able  to  find  in  Layelah's  plan 
of  escape  something  of  which  I  might  avail  myself.  I 
could  not  imagine  what  it  was,  but  it  seemed  to  me  that 
it  might  be  something  quite  feasible,  especially  for  a 
desperate  man.  The  only  thought  I  had  was  of  escape 
by  means  of  some  boat  over  the  seas.  In  a  boat  I  would 
be  at  home.  I  could  make  use  of  a  sail  so  as  to  elude 
pursuit,  and  could  guide  myself  by  the  stars.  The  only 
thing  that  I  wanted  to  know  was  the  situation  of  the 
lands  of  the  Gojin. 

On  the  following  Jom  the  Kohen  Gadol  and  Layelah 
came  quite  early  and  spent  much  time.    I  was  surprised 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  199 

to  see  the  Kohen  Gadol  devoting  himself  in  an  absurd 
fashion  to  Almah.  It  at  once  occurred  to  me  that  Laye- 
lah  had  obtained  her  father's  co-operation  in  her  scheme, 
and  that  the  old  villain  actually  imagined  that  he  could 
win  the  hand  of  Almah.  To  Almah  herself  I  had  said 
nothing  whatever  about  the  proposal  of  Layelah,  so  that 
she  was  quite  ignorant  of  the  intentions  of  her  compan- 
ion; but  it  was  excessively  annoying  to  me  to  see  such 
proceedings  going  on  under  my  own  eyes.  At  the  same 
time  I  felt  that  it  would  be  both  unwise  and  uncivil  to 
interfere;  and  I  was  also  quite  sure  that  Almah's  affec- 
tions were  not  to  be  diverted  from  me  by  any  one,  much 
less  by  such  an  elderly  party  as  the  Kohen  Gadol.  It 
was  very  trying,  however,  and,  in  spite  of  my  confidence 
in  Almah,  my  jealousy  was  excited,  and  I  began  to  think 
that  the  party  of  philosophical  Radicals  were  not  so 
agreeable  as  the  orthodox  cannibals  whom  I  first 
met.  As  for  Layelah,  she  seemed  quite  unconscious 
of  any  disturbance  in  my  mind.  She  was  as  amiable, 
as  sprightly,  as  inquisitive,  and  as  affectionate  as  ever. 
She  even  outdid  herself,  and  devoted  herself  to  me  with 
an  abandon  that  was  quite  irresistible. 

After  Almah  had  left  me  Layelah  came  again,  and 
this  time  she  was  alone. 

"I  have  come,"  said  she,  "to  show  you  the  way  in 
which  we  can  escape,  whenever  you  decide  to  do  so." 

It  was  the  thing  above  all  others  which  I  wished  to 
know,  and  therefore  I  questioned  her  eagerly  about  it ; 
but  to  all  of  my  questions  she  only  replied  that  she 
would  show  me,  and  I  might  judge  for  myself. 

Layelah  led  the  way,  and  I  followed  her.  We  trav- 
ersed long  galleries  and  vast  halls,  all  of  which  were 
quite  empty.  It  was  the  sleeping-time,  and  only  those 
were  visible  who  had  some  duties  which  kept  them  up 
later  than  usual.     Faint,  twinkling  lights  but  feebly 


200  A  Strange  Manuscript 

illuminated  the  general  gloom.  At  length  we  came  to 
an  immense  cavern,  which  was  darker  than  ever,  and 
•without  any  lamps  at  all.  Through  a  vast  portal,  which 
■was  closed  with  a  barred  gateway,  the  beams  of  the 
brilliant  aurora  penetrated  and  disclosed  something  of 
the  interior. 

Here  Layelah  stopped  and  peered  through  the  gloom, 
"while  I  stood  waiting  by  her  side,  "wondering  what 
means  of  escape  could  be  found  in  this  cavern.  As  I 
stood  I  heard  through  the  still  air  the  sound  as  of  liv- 
ing things.  For  a  time  I  saw  nothing,  but  at  length  I 
descried  a  vast,  shadowy  form  moving  forward  towards 
the  portal  -^'here  the  darkness  was  less.  It  was  a  form 
of  portentous  size  and  fearful  shape,  and  I  could  not 
make  out  at  first  the  nature  of  it.  It  surpassed  all  that 
I  had  ever  seen.  Its  head  was  large  and  its  jaws  long, 
armed  with  rows  of  terrible  teeth,  like  those  of  a  croco- 
dile. Its  body  was  of  great  size.  It  walked  on  its 
hind-legs,  so  as  to  maintain  itself  in  an  upright  atti- 
tude, and  in  that  position  its  height  was  over  twelve 
feet.  But  the  most  amazing  thing  about  this  monster 
has  yet  to  be  told.  As  it  walked  its  forearms  waved 
and  fluttered,  and  I  saw  descending  from  them  what 
seemed  like  vast  folded  leathern  wings,  "^-hich  shook 
and  swayed  in  the  air  at  every  step.  Its  pace  was  about 
as  fast  as  that  of  a  man,  and  it  moved  with  ease  and 
lightness.  It  seemed  like  some  enormous  bat,  or  rather 
like  a  winged  crocodile,  or  yet  again  like  one  of  those 
monstrous  dragons  of  which  I  had  read,  but  in  whose 
.  actual  existence  I  had  never  believed.  Yet  here  I  saw 
one  living  and  moving  before  me — an  actual  dragon, 
with  the  exception  of  a  tail ;  for  that  appendage,  which 
plays  so  great  a  part  in  all  the  pictures  of  dragons,  had  no 
place  here.  This  beast  had  but  a  short  caudal  append- 
age, and  all  its  terrors  lay  in  its  jaws  and  in  its  wings. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  201 

For  a  moment  I  stood  almost  lifeless  with  terror  and 
surprise.  Then  I  shrank  back,  but  Layelah  laid  her 
hand  on  my  arm, 

"  Don't  be  afraid,"  said  she  ;  "  it's  only  an  athaleb." 

"But  won't  it — won't  it  bite?"  I  asked,  with  a 
shudder. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Layelah,  "  it  swallows  its  victuals 
whole." 

At  this  I  shrank  away  still  farther. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,"  said  Layelah  again.  "  Its  jaws 
are  muzzled,  and,  besides,  it's  a  tame  athaleb.  Its  jaws 
are  only  unmuzzled  at  feeding-time.  But  this  one  is 
very  tame.  There  are  three  or  four  others  in  here,  and 
all  as  tame  as  I  am.  They  all  know  me;  come  up  nearer; 
don't  be  afraid.     These  athalebs  are  easily  tamed." 

"  How  can  such  tremendous  monsters  be  tamed  ?"  I 
asked,  in  an  incredulous  tone. 

"  Oh,  man  can  tame  anything.  The  athalebs  are  very 
docile  when  they  are  taken  young.  They  are  very  long- 
lived.  This  one  has  been  in  service  here  for  a  hundred 
seasons  and  more." 

At  this  I  began  to  regain  my  confidence,  and  as  Lay- 
elah moved  nearer  to  the  athaleb  I  accompanied  her. 
A  nearer  view,  however,  was  by  no  means  reassuring. 
The  dragon-look  of  the  athaleb  was  stronger  than  ever, 
for  I  could  see  that  all  its  body  was  covered  with  scales. 
On  its  neck  and  back  was  a  long  ridge  of  coarse  hair, 
and  the  sweep  of  its  vast  arms  w^as  enormous.  It  was 
with  a  quaking  heart  that  I  stood  near ;  but  the  cool- 
ness of  Layelah  reassured  me,  for  she  went  close  up,  as 
a  boy  would  go  up  to  a  tame  elephant,  and  she  stroked 
his  enormous  back,  and  the  monster  bent  down  his  ter- 
rible head  and  seemed  pleased. 

"  This,"  said  Layelah,  "  is  the  way  we  have  of  es- 
caping." 
9* 


202  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  This  !"   I  exclaimed,  doubtfully. 

"  Yes,"  said  she.  "  He  is  trained  to  the  service.  "We 
can  mount  on  his  hack,  and  he  will  fly  with  us  wherc- 
evcr  I  choose  to  guide  him." 

"  What  !"  I  exclaimed,  as  I  shrank  back — *'  fly  !  Do 
you  mean  to  say  that  you  will  mount  this  hideous  mon- 
ster, and  trust  yourself  to  him?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  Layelah,  quietly  ;  "  he  is  very  doc- 
ile. There  is  harness  here  with  which  we  can  guide 
him.     Should  you  like  to  see  him  harnessed  ?" 

"  Very  much,  indeed,"  said  I. 

Upon  this  Layelah  walked  up  to  the  monster  and 
stroked  his  breast.  The  huge  athaleb  at  once  lay  down 
upon  his  belly.  Then  she  brought  two  long  straps  like 
reins,  and  fastened  each  to  the  tip  of  a  projecting  tip 
of  each  wing.  Then  she  fastened  a  collar  around  his 
neck,  to  which  there  was  attached  a  grappling-iron. 

"  "We  seat  ourselves  on  his  back,"  said  Layelah.  "  I 
guide  with  these  reins.  "When  we  land  anywhere  I  fas- 
ten him  with  the  grapple.  He  looks  dull  now,  but  if  I 
were  to  open  the  gate  and  remove  his  muzzle  he  would 
be  off  like  the  wind." 

"  But  can  he  carry  both  of  us  ?"   I  asked. 

"  Easily,"  said  Layelah.  "  He  can  carry  three  per- 
sons without  fatigue." 

"  Could  you  mount  on  his  back  now,  and  show  rac 
how  you  sit?" 

Layelah  readily  assented,  and  mounted  with  the  great- 
est ease,  seating  herself  on  the  broadest  part  of  the 
back  between  the  wings, 

"  Here,"  said  she,  "  is  room  for  you.  "Will  you  not 
come  ?" 

For  an  instant  I  hesitated  ;  but  then  the  sight  of  her, 
seated  there  as  coolly  as  though  she  Averc  on  a  chair,  re- 
assured me,  and  I  climbed  up  also,  though  not  without 


Found  in  a  Coppe)'  Cylinder.  203 

a  sliudclcr.  The  touch  of  the  fearful  monster  was  ab- 
horrent ;  but  I  conquered  my  disgust  and  seated  my- 
self close  behind  Laj^elah.  There  she  sat,  holding  the 
reins  in  her  hands,  with  the  grapple  just  in  front  of  her  ; 
and,  seated  in  this  position,  she  Avent  on  to  explain  the 
whole  process  by  which  the  mighty  monster  was  guided 
through  the  air. 

No  sooner  had  I  found  myself  actually  on  the  back 
of  the  athaleb  than  all  fear  left  me.  I  perceived  fully 
how  completely  tame  he  was,  and  how  docile.  The 
reins  attached  to  his  wings  could  be  pulled  with  the 
greatest  ease,  just  as  one  would  pull  the  tiller- ropes  of 
a  boat.  "  Familiarity  breeds  contempt ;"  and  now,  since 
the  first  terror  had  passed  away,  I  felt  perfect  confi- 
dence, and  under  the  encouragement  of  Layelah  I  had 
become  like  some  rustic  in  a  menagerie,  who  at  first  is 
terrified  by  the  sight  of  the  elephant,  but  soon  gains 
courage  enough  to  mount  upon  his  back.  With  my 
new-found  courage  and  presence  of  mind,  I  listened 
most  attentively  to  all  of  Layelah's  explanations,  and 
watched  most  closely  the  construction  and  fastening 
of  the  harness  ;  for  the  thought  had  occurred  to  me 
that  this  athaleb  might  be  of  avail  in  another  way — 
that  if  I  did  not  fly  with  Layelah  I  might  fly  with  Al- 
mah.  This  thought  was  only  of  a  vague  and  shadowy 
character — a  dim  suggestion,  the  carrying  out  of  -which 
I  scarce  dared  to  think  possible ;  still,  it  was  in  my 
mind,  and  had  sufficient  power  over  me  to  make  me 
very  curious  as  to  the  plans  of  Layelah.  I  determined 
to  find  out  where  she  proposed  to  go,  and  how  far ;  to 
ask  her  about  the  dangers  of  the  way  and  the  means  of 
sustenance.  It  seemed,  I  confess,  rather  unfair  to  Lay- 
elah to  find  out  her  plans  and  use  them  for  another 
purpose  ;■  but  then  that  other  purpose  was  Almah,  and 
to  me  at  that  time  every  device  which  was  for  her  safety 
seemed  fair  and  honorable. 


204  -A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Here,"  said  Layelali — "  here,  Atam-or,  you  see  the 
way  of  escape.  The  athaleb  can  carry  us  both  far  away 
to  a  land  where  you  need  never  fear  that  they  will  put 
you  to  death — a  land  where  the  people  love  light  and 
life.  Whenever  you  are  ready  to  go,  tell  me ;  if  you 
are  ready  to  go  now,  say  so,  and  at  once  I  will  open  the 
door  and  we  shall  soon  be  far  away." 

She  laid  her  hand  on  mine  and  looked  at  me  earnestly  ; 
but  I  was  not  to  be  beguiled  into  any  hasty  committal 
of  myself,  and  so  I  turned  her  proposal  away  with  a 
question  : 

"  How  far  is  it,"  I  asked,  "  to  that  land?" 

"  It  is  too  far  for  one  flight,"  said  Layelah.  "  We 
go  first  over  the  sea  till  we  come  to  a  great  island, 
which  is  called  Magones,  where  there  are  mountains  of 
fire ;  there  we  must  rest,  and  feed  the  athaleb  on  fish, 
which  are  to  be  found  on  the  shore.  The  athaleb  knows 
his  way  there  well,  for  he  goes  there  once  every  season 
for  a  certain  sacred  ceremony.  He  has  done  this  for 
fifty  or  sixty  seasons,  and  knows  his  way  there  and 
back  perfectly  well.  The  dilficulty  will  be,  when  wo 
leave  Magones,  in  reaching  the  land  of  the  Orin." 

"  The  Orin  ?"  I  repeated.     "  Who  are  they  ?" 

"  They  are  a  people  among  the  Gojin  who  love  life  and 
light.     It  is  their  land  that  I  wish  to  reach,  if  possible." 

"  Where  is  it  ?"  I  asked,  eagerly. 

"  I  cannot  explain,"  said  Layelah.  "  I  can  only  trust 
to  my  own  skill,  and  hope  to  find  the  i)lace.  We  may 
have  to  pass  over  different  lands  of  the  Gojin,  and  if 
so  we  may  be  in  danger." 

"  What  is  the  reason  why  the  athaleb  goes  to  Ma- 
gones every  season  ?"   I  asked. 

"  To  take  there  the  chief  pauper  of  the  season,  who 
has  won  the  prize  of  death  by  starvation.  It  ^s  one  of 
the  greatest  honors  among  the  Kosekin." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  205 

"  Is  Magoues  barren  ?" 

"  It  is  an  island  of  fire,  without  anything  on  it  but 
craggy  mountains  and  ■wild  rocks  and  flowing  rivers  of 
fire.     It  stands  almost  in  the  middle  of  the  sea," 

"How  can. we  get  away  from  here?"  I  asked,  after 
some  silence. 

"  From  here  ?  why,  I  open  the  gates  and  the  athaleb 
flies  away;  that  is  all." 

"  But  shall  we  not  be  prevented  ?" 

"  Oh,  no.  No  one  here  ever  prevents  any  one  from 
doing  anything.  Every  one  is  eager  to  help  his  neigh- 
bor." 

"  But  if  they  saw  me  deliberately  mounting  the  atha- 
leb and  preparing  for  flight,  would  they  not  stop  me  ?" 

"  No." 

I  was  amazed  at  this. 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  am  I  not  a  victim — preserved  for 
the  great  sacrifice  ?" 

"You  are;  but  you  are  free  to  go  where  you  like, 
and  do  what  you  like.  Your  character  of  victim  makes 
you  most  distinguished.  It  is  the  highest  honor  and 
dignity.  All  believe  that  you  rejoice  in  your  high  dig- 
nity, and  no  one  dreams  that  you  are  anxious  to  escape." 

"But  if  I  did  escape,  would  they  not  pursue  me?" 

"  Certainly  not." 

"  What  would  they  do  for  a  victim  ?" 

"  They  would  wonder  at  your  unaccountable  flight, 
and  then  choose  some  distinguished  pauper." 

"But  if  I  were  to  stay  here,  would  they  not  save  me 
from  death  at  my  entreaty  ?" 

"  Oh,  certainly  not ;  they  would  never  understand 
such  an  entreaty.  That's  a  question  of  death — the  su- 
preme blessing.  No  one  is  capable  of  such  a  base  act 
as  saving  his  fellow-man  from  death.  All  are  eager  to 
help  each  other  to  such  a  fate." 


206  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"But  if  I  were  to  fly  they  would  not  prevent  me,  and 
they  would  not  pursue  me  ?" 

"  Oh,  no." 

"  Are  there  any  in  the  land  who  are  exempt  from  the 
sacrifice  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes;  the  Athons,  Meleks,  and  Kohens — these  are 
not  worthy  of  the  honor.  The  artisans  and  tradesmen 
are  sometimes  permitted  to  attain  to  this  honor ;  the 
laborers  in  greater  numbers;  but  it  is  the  paupers  who 
are  chiefly  favored.  And  this  is  a  matter  of  complaint 
among  the  rich  and  powerful,  that  they  cannot  be  sac- 
rificed." 

"  Well,  why  couldn't  I  be  made  an  Athon  or  a  Kohen, 
and  be  exempted  in  that  way  ?" 

"  Oh,  that  would  be  too  great  a  dishonor;  it  would  be 
impossible.  On  the  contrary,  the  whole  people  are  anx- 
ious to  honor  you  to  the  very  uttermost,  and  to  bestow 
upon  you  the  greatest  privileges  and  blessings  which 
can  possibly  be  given.  Oh,  no,  it  would  be  impossible 
for  them  to  allow  you  to  become  an  Athon  or  a  Kohen. 
As  for  me,  I  am  Malca,  and  therefore  the  lowest  in  the 
land — pitied  and  commiserated  by  the  haughty  pauper 
class,  who  shake  their  heads  at  the  thought  of  one  like 
me.  All  the  people  shower  upon  me  incessantly  new 
gifts  and  new  oflices.  If  my  present  love  of  light  and 
life  were  generally  known,  they  would  punish  me  by 
giving  me  new  contributions  of  wealth  and  new  oflices 
and  powers,  which  I  do  not  want." 

"But  you  love  riches,  do  you  not?  and  you  must 
want  them  still." 

"No,"  said  Layelah,  "I  do  not  want  them  now." 

"  Why,  what  do  you  want  ?"  I  asked. 

"You  !"  said  she,  with  a  sweet  smile. 

I  said  nothing,  but  tried  desperately  to  think  of  some- 
thing that  mierht  divert  the  conversation. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  207 

Layelah  was  silent  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  went 
on  in  a  musing  tone. 

"As  I  was  saying,  I  love  you,  Atam-or,  and  I  hate 
Almah  because  you  love  her.  I  think  Almah  is  the  only 
human  being  in  all  the  world  that  I  ever  really  hated; 
and  yet,  though  I  hate  her,  still,  strange  to  say,  I  feel 
as  though  I  should  like  to  give  her  the  immense  bless- 
ing of  death,  and  that  is  a  very  strange  feeling,  indeed, 
for  one  of  the  Kosekin.  Do  you  understand,  Atam-or, 
what  such  can  possibly  be  ?" 

I  did  not  answer,  but  turned  away  the  conversation 
by  a  violent  effort. 

"  Are  there  any  other  athalebs  here  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"  How  many  ?" 

"Four." 

"  Are  they  all  as  tame  as  this  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  all  quite  as  tame  ;  there  is  no  difference 
whatever." 

Upon  this  I  left  the  back  of  the  athaleb,  and  Layelah 
also  descended,  after  which  she  proceeded  to  show  me 
the  other  monsters.  At  length  she  unharnessed  the 
athaleb,  and  we  left  the  cavern. 


208  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

ESCAPE. 

Ox  tlie  following  Jo??i  I  told  everything  to  Almah,  I 
told  lier  that  Layelah  was  urging  me  to  fly  with  her, 
and  that  I  had  found  out  all  about  her  plans.  I  de- 
scribed the  athalebs,  informed  her  about  the  direction 
which  we  were  to  take,  the  island  of  fire,  and  the  country 
of  the  Orin.  At  this  intelligence  Almah  was  filled  with 
delight,  and  for  the  first  time  since  we  had  come  to  the 
amir  there  were  smiles  of  joy  upon  her  face.  She  need- 
ed no  persuasion.  She  was  ready  to  set  forth  whenever 
it  was  fitting,  and  to  risk  everything  upon  this  enter- 
prise. She  felt  as  I  did,  and  thought  that  the  wildest 
attempt  was  better  than  this  dull  inaction. 

Death  Avas  before  us  here,  and  q\qyj  jam  as  it  passed 
only  brought  it  nearer.  True,  we  were  treated  with  the 
utmost  kindness,  we  lived  in  roj'al  splendor,  we  had 
enormous  retinues;  but  all  this  was  a  miserable  mock- 
ery, since  it  all  served  as  the  prelude  to  our  inevitable 
doom.  For  that  doom  it  was  hard  indeed  to  wait.  Any- 
thing was  better.  Far  better  Avould  it  be  to  risk  all  the 
dangers  of  this  imusual  and  amazing  flight,  to  brave  the 
terrors  of  that  drear  isle  of  fire,  Magones ;  better  to 
perish  there  of  starvation,  or  to  be  killed  by  the  hands 
of  hostile  Gojin,  than  to  wait  hei'c  and  be  destroyed  at 
last  by  the  sacrificial  knife  of  these  smiling,  generous, 
kind-hearted,  self-sacrificing  fiends  ;  to  be  killed — ay, 
and  afterwards  borne  to  the  tremendous  Mista  JCosek. 

There  was  a  difficulty  with  Layelah  tliat  had  to  be 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  209 

guartlccl  against :  in  the  first  place  that  she  might  not 
suspect,  and  again  that  we  might  choose  our  time  of  es- 
cape when  she  wouki  not  he  at  all  likely  to  find  us  out. 
We  resolved  to  make  our  attempt  without  any  further 
delay.  Layelah  was  with  us  for  the  greater  part  of  that 
jom,  and  the  Kohen  Gadol  also  gave  us  much  of  his 
company.  Layelah  did  not  seem  to  have  any  suspi- 
cions whatever  of  my  secret  purpose  ;  for  she  was  as 
bright,  as  amiable,  and  as  devoted  to  me  as  ever,  while 
the  Kohen  Gadol  sought  as  before  to  make  himself 
agreeable  to  Almah.  I  did  not  think  fit  to  tell  her 
about  Layclah's  proposal,  and  therefore  she  was  quite 
ignorant  of  the  secret  plans  of  the  Kohen  Gadol,  evi- 
dently attributing  his  attention  to  the  unfailing  amia- 
bility of  the  Kosekin. 

Layelah  came  again  after  Almah  had  retired,  and 
spent  the  time  in  trying  to  persuade  me  to  fly  with  her. 
The  beautiful  girl  was  certainly  never  more  engaging, 
nor  was  she  ever  more  tender.  Had  it  not  been  for  Al- 
mah it  would  have  been  impossible  to  resist  such  sweet 
persuasions;  but  as  it  was  I  did  resist.  Layelah,  how- 
ever, was  not  at  all  discouraged,  nor  did  she  lose  any 
of  her  amiability;  but  when  she  took  leave  it  was  with 
a  smile  and  sweet  Avords  of  forgiveness  on  her  lips  for 
what  she  called  my  cruelty.  After  she  left  I  remained 
for  a  time  with  a  painful  sense  of  helplessness.  The 
fact  is  my  European  training  did  not  fit  me  for  encoun- 
tering such  a  state  of  things  as  existed  among  the  Kose- 
kin. It's  very  easy  to  be  faithful  to  one's  own  true-love 
in  England,  when  other  fair  ladies  hold  aloof  and  wait 
to  be  sought;  but  here  among  the  Kosekin  women  have 
as  much  liberty  in  making  love  as  men,  and  there  is  no 
law  or  custom  about  it.  If  a  woman  chooses  she  can 
pay  the  most  desperate  attentions,  and  play  the  part  of 
a  distracted  lover  to  her  heart's  content.     In  most  cases 


210  -4  Strange  Manuscript 

the  women  actually  take  the  initiative,  as  they  are  more 
impressible  and  impulsive  than  men;  and  so  it  v\-as  that 
Layelah  made  me  the  object  of  her  persistent  assault — 
acting  all  the  time,  too,  in  accordance  with  the  custom 
of  the  country,  and  thus  having  no  thought  whatever 
of  indelicacy,  since,  according  to  the  Kosekin,  she  was 
acting  simply  in  accordance  with  the  rights  of  every 
woman.  Now,  where  a  woman  is  urged  by  one  ardent 
lover  to  dismiss  her  other  lover,  she  may  sometimes  find 
it  difficult  to  play  her  part  satisfactorily;  but  in  my 
case  I  did  not  play  ray  part  satisfactorily  at  all;  the 
ordeal  was  too  hard,  and  I  was  utterly  unable  to  show 
to  Layelah  that  firmness  and  decision  of  character  which 
the  occasion  demanded. 

Yet,  after  all,  the  ordeal  at  last  ended.  Layelah  left, 
as  I  have  said,  with  sweet  words  of  forgiveness  on  her 
lips,  and  I,  after  a  time,  succeeded  in  regaining  my  pres- 
ence of  mind. 

Almah  was  waiting,  and  she  soon  joined  me.  We 
gathered  a  few  articles  for  the  journey,  the  chief  of 
which  was  my  rifle  and  pistol,  which  I  had  not  used 
here,  and  then  we  set  forth.  Leaving  our  apartments; 
we  traversed  the  long  passages,  and  at  length  came  to 
the  cavern  of  the  athalebs.  We  met  several  people  on 
the  way,  who  looked  at  ns  with  smiles,  but  made  no 
other  sign.  It  was  evident  that  they  had  no  commis- 
sion to  watch  us,  and  thus  far  Layelah's  information 
was  correct. 

Upon  entering  the  cavern  of  the  athalebs  my  first 
feeling  was  one  of  helplessness ;  for  I  had  no  confidence 
whatever  in  my  own  powers  of  managing  these  awful 
monsters,  nor  did  I  feel  sure  that  I  could  harness  them: 
but  the  emergency  was  a  pressing  one,  and  there  was  no 
help  for  it.  I  had  seen  where  Layelah  had  left  the  har- 
ness, and  now  my  chief  desire  was  to  secure  one  of  the 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  211 

athalobs.  Tlie  faint  light  served  to  disclose  nothing 
but  gloom;  and  I  waited  for  a  while,  hoj^ing  that  one  of 
them  would  come  forward  as  before.  But  waiting  did  no 
good,  for  no  movement  was  made,  and  I  had  to  try  what 
I  could  do  myself  to  rouse  them.  So  I  walked  farther  in 
towards  the  back  part  of  the  cavern,  peering  through 
the  gloom,  while  Almah  remained  near  the  entrance. 

As  I  advanced  I  heard  a  slight  noise,  as  of  some  one 
moving.  I  thought  it  was  one  of  the  athalebs,  and 
walked  on  farther,  peering  through  the  gloom,  when 
suddenly  I  came  full  upon  a  man  who  was  busy  at  some 
work  which  I  could  not  make  out.  For  a  moment  I 
stood  in  amazement  and  despair,  for  it  seemed  as  though 
all  was  lost,  and  as  if  this  man  would  at  once  divine  my 
intent.  While  I  stood  thus  he  turned  and  gave  me  a 
very  courteous  greeting,  after  which,  in  the  usual  man- 
ner of  the  Kosekin,  he  asked  me  with  much  amiability 
what  he  could  do  for  me.  I  muttered  something  about 
seeing  the  athalebs,  upon  which  he  informed  me  that  he 
would  show  them  to  me  with  pleasure. 

He  went  on  to  say  that  he  had  recently  been  raised 
from  the  low  position  of  Athon  to  that  of  Feeder  of  the 
Athalebs,  a  post  involving  duties  like  those  of  ostlers 
or  grooms  among  us,  but  which  here  indicated  high 
rank  and  honor.  He  was  proud  of  his  title  of  "  Epet," 
which  means  servant,  and  more  than  usually  obliging. 
I  at  once  took  advantage  of  his  complaisance,  and  re- 
quested him  to  show  me  the  athalebs.  Upon  this  he 
led  the  way  farther  on,  where  I  could  see  through  the 
gloom  the  shadowy  outlines  of  four  monsters,  all  of 
which  were  resting  in  an  upright  posture  against  the 
wall,  with  their  claws  fixed  on  a  shelf  of  rock.  They 
looked  more  than  ever  like  dragons,  or  rather  like  enor- 
mous bats,  for  their  wings  were  disclosed  hanging  in 
loose  leathern  folds. 


212  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  Can  they  be  roused,"  I  asked,  "  and  made  to  move  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  Epet,  and  without  waiting  for  any 
further  request  he  proceeded  to  pull  at  the  loose  fanlike 
wing  of  the  nearest  one.  The  monster  drew  himself 
together,  gave  a  flutter  with  his  wings,  and  then  moved 
back  from  the  wall. 

"  Make  him  walk,"  said  I,  eagerly. 

The  Epet  at  this  pulled  upon  his  wing  once  more,  and 
the  athaleb  moved  forward. 

"Bring  him  to  the  portal,  so  that  I  may  see  him," 
said  I. 

The  Epet,  still  holding  the  athaleb's  wing,  pulled  at 
him,  and  thus  guided  him  towards  the  portal.  I  was 
amazed  at  the  docility  of  this  terrific  monster;  yet,  after 
all,  I  thought  it  was  no  moi-e  astonishing  than  the  docil- 
ity of  the  elephant,  which  in  like  manner  allows  itself 
to  be  guided  by  the  slightest  pressure.  A  child  may 
lead  a  vast  elephant  with  ease,  and  here  with  equal  ease 
the  Epet  led  the  athaleb.  He  led  him  up  near  to  the 
portal,  where  the  aurora  light  beamed  through  far 
brighter  than  the  brightest  moon  and  disclosed  all  the 
vast  proportions  of  the  monster.  I  stood  and  looked 
on  for  some  time  in  silence,  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  do 
next. 

And  now  Layelah's  words  occurred  to  me  as  to  the 
perfect  willingness  of  the  Kosekin  to  do  anything  which 
one  might  wish.  She  had  insisted  on  it  that  they  would 
not  prevent  our  flight,  and  had  given  me  to  understand 
that  they  would  even  assist  me  if  I  should  ask  them. 
This  is  what  now  occurred  to  me,  and  I  determined  to 
make  a  trial.     So  I  said, 

"  I  should  like  to  fly  in  the  air  on  the  athaleb.  "Will 
you  harness  him  ?" 

I  confess  it  was  with  some  trepidation  that  I  said  this, 
but  the  feeling  was  soon  dissipated.     The  Epet  heard 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  213 

my  words  with  perfect  coolness,  as  though  they  con- 
veyed the  most  natural  request  in  the  world,  and  then 
proceeded  to  obey  me,  just  as  at  home  a  servant  might 
hear  and  obey  his  master,  who  might  say,  "  I  should 
like  to  take  a  ride;  will  you  harness  the  bay  mare?" 

So  the  Epet  proceeded  to  harness  the  athalcb,  and  I 
watched  him  in  silence;  but  it  was  the  silence  of  deep 
suspense,  and  my  heart  throbbed  painfully.  There  was 
yet  much  to  be  risked.  The  gates  had  to  be  opened. 
Others  might  interfere.  Layelah  might  come.  All 
these  thoughts  occurred  to  me  as  I  watched  the  Epet; 
and  though  the  labor  of  harnessing  the  athaleb  was  sim- 
ple and  soon  performed,  still  the  time  seemed  long.  So 
the  collar  was  secured  around  the  neck  of  the  athaleb, 
with  the  grapple  attached,  and  the  lines  were  fastened 
to  the  wings,  and  then  Almah  and  I  mounted. 

The  Epet  now  stood  waiting  for  further  orders. 

"  Open  the  gates,"  said  I. 

The  Epet  did  so, 

Almah  was  seated  on  the  back  of  the  athaleb  before 
me,  holding  on  to  the  coarse  mane;  I,  just  behind,  held 
the  reins  in  my  hand.  The  gates  were  opened  wide.  A 
few  people  outside,  roused  by  the  noise  of  the  opening 
gates,  stood  and  looked  on.  They  had  evidently  no 
other  feeling  but  curiosity. 

All  was  now  ready  and  the  way  was  open,  but  there 
was  an  unexpected  difficulty — the  athaleb  would  not 
start,  and  I  did  not  know  how  to  make  him.  I  had  once 
more  to  apply  for  help  to  the  Epet. 

" How  am  I  to  make  him  start?"  I  asked. 

"Pull  at  the  collar  to  make  him  start,  and  pull  at 
both  reins  to  make  him  stop,"  said  the  Epet. 

Upon  this  I  pulled  the  collar. 

The  athaleb  obeyed  at  once.  He  rose  almost  erect, 
and  moved  out  through  the  gate.     It  was  difficult  to 


214  A  Strange  Manuscript 

hold  on,  but  we  did  so.  On  reaching  the  terrace  out- 
side the  athaleb  expanded  his  vast  wings,  which  spread 
out  over  a  space  of  full  fifty  feet,  and  then  with  vigor- 
ous motions  raised  himself  in  the  air. 

It  was  a  moment  full  of  terror  to  both  of  us  ;  the 
strange  sensation  of  rising  in  the  air,  the  quivering  mus- 
cles of  the  athaleb  at  the  working  of  the  enormous  pin- 
ions, the  tremendous  display  of  strength,  all  combined 
to  overwhelm  me  with  a  sense  of  utter  helplessness. 
With  one  hand  I  clung  to  the  stiff  mane  of  the  monster; 
with  the  other  I  held  Almah,  who  was  also  grasping  the 
athaleb's  hair;  and  thus  for  some  time  all  thought  was 
taken  up  in  the  one  purpose  of  holding  on.  But  at 
length  the  athaleb  lay  in  the  air  in  a  perfectly  horizon- 
tal position;  the  beat  of  the  wings  grew  more  slow  and 
even,  the  muscular  exertion  more  steady  and  sustained. 
We  both  began  to  regain  some  degree  of  confidence, 
and  at  length  I  raised  myself  up  and  looked  around. 

It  did  not  seem  long  since  we  had  left;  but  already 
the  city  was  far  behind,  rising  with  its  long,  crescent  ter- 
races, sparkling  and  twinkling  with  innumerable  lights. 
We  had  passed  beyond  the  bay;  the  harbor  was  behind 
us,  the  open  sea  before  us,  the  deep  water  beneath.  The 
athaleb  flew  low,  not  more  than  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  water,  and  maintained  that  distance  all  the  time. 
It  seemed,  indeed,  as  if  he  might  drop  into  the  water  at 
any  time,  but  this  Avas  only  fancy;  for  he  was  perfect 
master  of  all  his  movements,  and  his  flight  was  swift 
and  well  sustained. 

Overhead  the  sky  was  filled  with  the  glory  of  the  au- 
rora beams,  which  spread  everywhere,  flashing  out  from 
the  zenith  and  illuminating  the  earth  with  a  glow  bright- 
er than  that  of  the  brightest  moon  ;  beneath,  the  dark 
waters  of  the  sea  extended,  with  the  waves  breaking 
into  foam,  and  traversed  by  galleys,  by  merchant-ships, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  215 

and  by  the  navies  of  the  Kosekin.  Far  away  the  sur- 
face of  the  sea  spread,  with  that  marvellous  appearance 
of  an  endless  ascent,  as  though  for  a  thousand  miles, 
rising  thus  until  it  terminated  half-way  up  the  sky;  and 
60  it  rose  up  on  every  side,  so  that  I  seemed  to  be  at  the 
bottom  of  a  basin-shaped  world — an  immense  and  im- 
measurable hollow — a  world  unparalleled  and  unintelli- 
gible. Far  away,  at  almost  infinite  distances,  arose  the 
long  lines  of  mountains,  which,  crowned  Avitli  ice,  gleamed 
in  the  aurora  light,  and  seemed  like  a  barrier  that  made 
forever  impossible  all  ingress  and  egress. 

On  and  on  we  sped.  At  length  we  grew  perfectly 
accustomed  to  the  situation,  the  motion  was  so  easy  and 
our  seats  were  so  secure.  There  were  no  obstacles  in 
our  way,  no  roughness  along  our  path;  for  that  pathway 
was  the  smooth  air,  and  in  such  a  path  there  could  be 
no  interruption,  no  jerk  or  jar.  After  the  first  terror 
had  passed  there  remained  no  longer  any  necessity  for 
holding  on — we  could  sit  and  look  around  with  perfect 
freedom;  and  at  length  I  rose  to  my  feet,  and  Almah 
stood  beside  me,  and  thus  we  stood  for  a  long  time,  with 
all  our  souls  kindled  into  glowing  enthusiasm  by  the  ex- 
citement of  that  adventurous  flight,  and  the  splendors 
of  that  unequalled  scene. 

At  length  the  aurora  light  grew  dim.  Then  came 
forth  the  stars,  glowing  and  burning  in  the  black  sky. 
Beneath  there  w^as  nothing  visible  but  the  darkness  of 
the  water,  spotted  with  phosphorescent  points,  while  all 
around  a  wall  of  gloom  arose  which  shut  out  from  view 
the  distant  shores. 

Suddenly  I  was  aware  of  a  noise  like  the  beat  of  vast 
wings,  and  these  wings  were  not  those  of  our  athaleb. 
At  first  I  thought  it  was  the  fluttering  of  a  sail,  but  it 
was  too  regular  and  too  long  continued  for  that.  At 
length  I  saw  through  the  gloom  a  vast  shadowy  form  in 


210  A  Strange  Manuscript 

the  air  behind  us,  and  at  once  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  flashed  upon  me.  It  was  another  monster  flying 
in  pursuit  ! 

Were  we  pursued  ?  Were  there  men  on  his  back  ? 
Should  I  resist  ?  I  held  my  rifle  poised,  and  was  re- 
solved to  resist  at  all  hazards.  Almah  saw  it  all,  and 
said  nothing.  She  perceived  the  danger,  and  in  her  eyes 
I  saw  that  she,  like  me,  would  prefer  death  to  surrender. 
The  monster  came  nearer  and  nearer,  until  at  last  I  could 
see  that  he  was  alone,  and  that  none  were  on  his  back. 
But  now  another  fear  arose.  He  might  attack  our  atha- 
leb,  and  in  that  way  endanger  us.  He  must  be  prevent- 
ed from  coming  nearer;  yet  to  fire  the  rifle  was  a  serious 
matter.  I  had  once  before  learned  the  danger  of  firing 
under  such  circumstances,  when  my  opmahera  had  fled 
in  terror  at  the  report,  and  did  not  wish  to  experience 
the  danger  which  might  arise  from  a  panic-stricken 
athaleb  ;  and  so  as  I  stood  there  I  waved  my  arms  and 
gesticulated  violently.  The  pursuing  athaleb  seemed 
frightened  at  such  an  unusual  occurrence,  for  he  veered 
oflF,  and  soon  was  lost  in  the  darkness. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder,  217 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE     ISLAND     OF     FIRE. 

At  last  there  appeared  before  us  what  seemed  like  a 
long  line  of  dull-red  fires,  and  as  we  looked  we  could 
see  bursts  of  flame  at  fitful  intervals,  which  shone  out 
for  a  few  moments  and  then  died  away.  Upon  this 
now  our  whole  attention  was  fixed ;  for  it  seemed  as 
though  we  were  approaching  our  destination,  and  that 
this  place  was  the  Island  of  Fire — a  name  which,  from 
present  appearances,  was  fully  justified.  As  we  went 
on  and  drew  steadily  nearer,  the  mass  of  glowing  fire 
grew  larger  and  brighter,  and  what  at  first  had  seemed 
a  line  was  broken  up  into  different  parts,  one  of  which 
far  surjiassed  the  others.  This  was  higher  in  the  air, 
and  its  shape  was  that  of  a  long,  thin,  sloping  line,  with 
a  burning,  glowing  globule  at  each  end.  It  seemed  like 
lava  raining  down  from  the  crater  of  a  volcano,  and  this 
appearance  was  made  certainty  on  a  nearer  approach; 
for  we  saw  at  the  upper  point,  which  seemed  the  crater, 
an  outburst  of  flame,  followed  by  a  new  flow  of  the  fiery 
stream.  In  other  places  there  were  similar  fires,  but 
they  were  less  bright,  either  because  they  were  smaller 
or  more  remote. 

At  length  we  heard  beneath  us  the  roar  of  breakers, 
and  saw  long  white  lines  of  surf  beating  upon  the  shore. 
Our  athaleb  now  descended  and  alighted;  we  clambered 
to  the  ground,  and  I,  taking  the  grapple,  fixed  it  securely 
between  two  sharp  rocks.  We  were  at  last  on  Magones, 
the  Island  of  Fire. 
10 


218  A  Strange  Manuscript 

The  brightness  of  the  aurora  light  had  left  us,  but  it 
needed  not  tliis  to  shoAV  us  the  dismal  nature  of  the  land 
to  which  we  had  come.  It  was  a  land  of  horror,  where 
there  was  nothing  but  the  abomination  of  desolation — 
a  land  overstrewn  with  blasted  fragments  of  fractured 
lava-blocks,  intermixed  with  sand,  from  which  there 
arose  black  precipices  and  giant  mountains  that  poured 
forth  rivers  of  fire  and  showers  of  ashes  and  sheets  of 
flame.  A  tremendous  peak  arose  before  us,  with  a  crest 
of  fire  and  sides  streaked  with  red  torrents  of  molten 
lava;  between  us  and  it  there  spread  away  a  vast  ex- 
panse of  impassable  rocks — a  scene  of  ruin  and  savage 
wildness  which  cannot  be  described,  and  all  around  was 
the  same  drear  and  appalling  prospect.  Here  in  the 
night-season — the  season  of  darkness  and  of  awful  gloom 
— we  stood  in  this  land  of  woe;  and  not  one  single  sign 
appeared  of  life  save  the  life  that  we  had  brought  with 
us.  As  for  food,  it  was  vain  to  think  of  it.  To  search 
after  it  would  be  useless.  It  seemed,  indeed,  impossible 
to  move  from  the  spot  where  Ave  were.  Every  moment 
presented  some  new  discovery  which  added  to  the  hor- 
ror of  Magones. 

But  Almah  was  weary,  for  our  flight  had  been  long, 
and  she  wished  to  rest.  So  I  found  a  place  for  her  where 
there  was  some  sand  between  two  rocks,  and  here  she 
lay  down  and  went  to  sleep.  I  sat  at  a  little  distance 
off  on  a  shelf  of  the  rock,  with  my  back  against  it,  and 
here  after  a  little  time  I  also  went  to  sleep. 

At  length  we  awoke.  But  what  a  waking !  There 
was  no  morning  dawn,  no  blessed  returning  light  to 
greet  our  eyes.  We  opened  our  eyes  to  the  same  scenes 
upon  which  we  had  closed  them,  and  the  darkness  was 
still  deep  and  dense  around  us.  Over  us  both  there  was 
a  sense  of  utter  depression,  and  I  was  so  deeply  plunged 
into  it  that  I  found  it  impossible  to  rouse  myself,  even 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  219 

for  the  sake  of  saying  words  of  cheer  to  Almah.  I  had 
brought  a  few  fragments  of  food,  and  upon  these  we 
made  our  breakfast;  but  there  was  the  athaleb  to  feed, 
and  for  him  I  found  nothing,  nor  could  I  think  of  any- 
thing— unless  he  could  feed  upon  rocks  and  sand.  Yet 
food  for  him  M'as  a  matter  of  the  highest  consequence, 
for  he  was  all  our  support  and  stay  and  hope ;  and  if 
the  monster  were  deprived  of  food  he  might  turn  upon 
us  and  satisfy  upon  us  his  ravenous  appetite.  These 
thoughts  were  painful,  indeed,  and  added  to  my  despond- 
ency. 

Suddenly  I  heard  the  sound  of  running  water.  I 
started  away  towards  the  place  from  which  the  sound 
came,  and  found,  only  a  little  distance  off,  a  small  brook 
trickling  along  on  its  way  to  the  shore.  I  called  Almah, 
and  we  both  drank  and  were  refreshed. 

This  showed  an  easy  way  to  get  to  the  shore,  and  I 
determined  to  go  there  to  see  if  there  were  any  fish  to 
be  found.  Shell-fish  might  be  there,  or  the  carcasses  of 
dead  fish  thrown  up  by  the  sea,  upon  which  the  athaleb 
might  feed.  I  left  my  pistol  with  Almah,  telling  her 
to  fire  it  if  she  heard  me  fire,  for  t  was  afraid  of  losing 
my  way,  and  therefore  took  this  precaution.  I  left  it 
lying  on  the  rock  full-cocked,  and  directed  her  to  point 
it  in  the  air  and  pull  the  trigger.  It  was  necessary  to 
take  these  precautions,  as  of  course  she  Avas  quite  igno- 
rant of  its  nature.  After  this  I  left  her  and  tried  to 
follow  the  torrent. 

This,  however,  I  soon  found  to  be  impossible,  for  the 
brook  on  reaching  a  huge  rock  plunged  underneath  it 
and  became  lost  to  view.  I  then  went  towards  the  shore 
as  well  as  I  could — now  climbing  over  sharp  rocks,  now 
going  round  them,  until  at  length  after  immense  labor 
I  succeeded  in  reaching  the  water.  Here  the  scene  was 
almost  as  wild  as  the  one  I  had  left.     There  was  no 


220  A  Strange  Manuscript 

beacli  whatever — nothing  but  a  vast  extent  of  wild  frag- 
ments of  fractured  lava-Llocks,  wliich  were  evidently 
the  result  of  some  comparatively  recent  convulsion  of 
nature,  for  their  edges  were  still  sharp,  and  the  water 
had  not  worn  even  those  which  were  within  its  grasp 
to  anything  like  roundness,  or  to  anything  else  than  the 
jagged  and  shattered  outlines  which  had  originally  be- 
longed to  them. 

All  the  shore  thus  consisted  of  vast  rocky  blocks,  over 
which  the  sea  beat  in  foam. 

Eager  to  find  something,  I  toiled  along  this  rocky 
shore  for  a  long  distance,  but  without  seeing  any  change. 
I  was  unwilling  to  go  back  baffled,  yet  I  was  at  length 
compelled  to  do  so.  But  the  necessity  of  feeding  the 
athaleb  was  pressing,  and  I  saw  that  our  only  course 
now  would  be  to  mount  him  again,  leave  this  place,  and 
seek  some  other.  But  where  could  we  go  ?  That  I 
could  not  imagine,  and  could  only  conclude  to  trust 
altogether  to  the  instinct  of  the  athaleb,  which  might 
guide  him  to  places  where  he  might  obtain  food.  Such 
a  course  would  involve  great  risk,  for  we  might  be  car- 
ried into  the  midst  of  vast  flocks  of  these  monsters;  yet 
there  was  nothing  else  to  be  done. 

I  now  retraced  my  steps,  and  went  for  a  long  time 
near  the  sea.  At  length  I  found  a  place  where  the 
walking  was  somewhat  easier,  and  went  in  this  way  up 
into  the  island  and  away  from  the  sea.  It  seemed  to 
lead  in  the  direction  where  I  wished  to  go.  At  length 
it  seemed  as  if  I  had  walked  far  enough,  yet  I  could  see 
no  signs  of  Almah.  I  shouted,  but  there  was  no  answer. 
I  shouted  again  and  again,  but  with  the  like  result. 
Then  I  fired  my  rifle  and  listened.  In  response  there 
came  the  report  of  the  pistol  far  away  behind  me.  It 
was  evident  that  in  coming  back  along  the  shore  I  had 
passed  by  the  place  where  Almah  Avas.    There  was  noth- 


Found  in  a   Coj)per  Cylinder.  221 

ing  now  left  but  to  retrace  my  steps,  and  this  I  accord- 
ingly did.  I  went  back  to  the  shore,  and  returned  on 
my  steps,  shouting  all  the  time,  until  at  length  I  was 
rejoiced  to  hear  the  answering  shout  of  Almah.  After 
this  it  was  easy  to  reach  her. 

We  now  took  up  the  grapple  and  once  more  mounted. 
The  athaleb,  eager  to  be  off,  raised  himself  quickly  in 
the  air,  and  soon  our  late  resting-place  was  far  behind. 
His  flight  was  now  different  from  what  it  was  before. 
Then  he  stood  off  in  one  straight  line  for  a  certain  fixed 
destination,  as  though  under  some  guidance;  for  though 
I  did  not  direct  him,  still  his  long  training  had  taught 
him  to  fly  to  Magones.  But  now  training  and  guidance 
were  both  wanting,  and  the  athaleb  was  left  to  the  im- 
pulse of  his  hunger  and  the  guidance  of  his  instinct;  so 
he  flew  no  longer  in  one  undeviating  straight  line,  but 
rose  high,  and  bent  his  head  down  low,  and  flew  and 
soared  in  vast  circles,  even  as  I  have  seen  a  vulture  or 
a  condor  sweeping  about  while  searching  for  food.  All 
the  while  we  were  drawing  farther  and  farther  away 
from  the  spot  which  we  had  left. 

AYe  passed  the  lofty  volcano;  we  saw  more  plainly  the 
rivers  of  molten  lava;  we  passed  vast  cliffs  and  bleak 
mountains,  all  of  which  were  more  terrific  than  all  that 
we  had  left  behind.  Now  the  darkness  lessened,  for  the 
aurora  was  brightening  in  the  sky,  and  gathering  up 
swiftly  and  gloriously  all  its  innumerable  beams,  and 
flashing  forth  its  lustrous  glow  upon  the  world.  To  us 
this  was  equal  to  the  retui'n  of  day  ;  it  was  like  a  blessed 
dawn.  Light  had  come,  and  we  rejoiced  and  were  ex- 
ceeding glad. 

Now  we  saw  before  us,  far  beyond  the  black  preci- 
pices, a  broad  bay  with  sloping  shores,  and  a  wide  beach 
which  seemed  like  a  beach  of  sand.  The  surf  broke 
here,  but  beyond  the  surf  was  the  gentle  sandy  decliv- 


222  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ity,  and  beyond  this  there  appeared  the  shores,  still 
rocky  and  barren  and  desolate,  but  far  preferable  to  what 
we  had  left  behind.  Far  away  in  the  interior  arose 
lofty  mountains  and  volcanoes,  while  behind  us  flamed 
the  burning  j^eak  which  we  had  j^assed. 

Here  the  athaleb  wheeled  in  long,  circuitous  flights, 
which  grew  lower  and  lower,  until  at  length  he  de- 
scended upon  the  sandy  beach,  where  I  saw  a  vast  sea- 
monster  lying  dead.  It  had  evidently  been  thrown  up 
here  by  the  sea.  It  was  like  one  of  those  monsters  which 
I  had  seen  from  the  galley  of  the  Kohen  at  the  time  of 
the  sacred  hunt.  By  this  the  athaleb  descended,  and 
at  once  began  to  devour  it,  tearing  out  vast  masses  of 
flesh,  and  exhibiting  such  voracity  and  strength  of  jaw 
that  I  could  scarcely  bear  to  look  upon  the  sight.  I 
fastened  the  grapple  securely  to  the  head  of  the  dead 
monster,  and,  leaving  the  athaleb  to  feed  upon  it,  Almah 
and  I  went  up  the  beach. 

On  our  way  we  found  rocks  covered  with  sea-weed, 
and  here  we  sought  after  shell-fish.  Our  search  was  at 
length  rewarded,  for  suddenly  I  stumbled  upon  a  place 
where  I  found  some  lobsters.  I  grasped  two  of  these, 
but  the  others  escaped.  Here  at  last  I  had  found  signs 
of  life,  but  they  were  of  the  sea  rather  than  of  the  shore. 
Delighted  with  my  prey,  I  hastened  to  Almah  to  show 
them  to  her.  She  recognized  them  at  once,  and  I  saw 
that  they  were  familiar  to  her.  I  then  spoke  of  eating 
them,  but  at  this  proposal  she  recoiled  in  horror.  She 
could  not  give  any  reason  for  her  repugnance,  but  merely 
said  that  among  her  people  they  were  regarded  as  some- 
thing equivalent  to  vermin,  and  I  found  that  she  would 
no  more  think  of  eating  one  than  I  would  think  of  eating 
a  rat.  Upon  this  I  had  to  throw  them  away,  and  we 
once  more  resumed  our  search. 

At  last  we  came  to  a  place  where  numbers  of  dead 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  223 

fish  lay  on  the  sand.  Nearer  the  water  they  were  more 
fresh,  and  not  at  all  objectionable.  I  picked  up  a  few 
which  looked  like  our  common  smelt,  and  found  that 
Almah  had  no  objection  to  these.  But  now  the  ques- 
tion arose  how  to  cook  them ;  neither  of  us  could  eat 
them  raw.  A  fire  was  necessary,  yet  a  fire  was  impos- 
sible ;  for  on  the  whole  island  there  was  probably  not 
one  single  combustible  thing.  Our  discovery,  therefore, 
seemed  to  have  done  us  but  little  good,  and  we  seemed 
destined  to  starvation,  when  fortunately  a  hapj^y  thought 
suggested  itself.  In  walking  along  I  saw  far  away  the 
glow  of  some  lava  which  had  flowed  to  the  shore  at  the 
end  of  the  sandy  beach,  and  was  probably  cooling  down 
at  the  water's  edge.  Here,  then,  was  a  natural  fire, 
which  might  serve  us  better  than  any  contrivance  of 
our  own,  and  towards  this  we  at  once  proceeded.  It  was 
about  two  miles  away  ;  but  the  beach  was  smooth,  and 
we  reached  the  place  without  any  difiiculty. 

Here  we  found  the  edge  of  that  lava  flood  which 
seemed  eternally  descending  from  the  crater  beyond. 
The  edge  which  was  nearest  the  water  was  black;  and 
the  liquid  fire,  as  it  rolled  down,  curled  over  this  in  a 
fantastic  shape,  cooling  and  hardening  into  the  form 
which  it  thus  assumed.  Here,  after  some  search,  I  found 
a  crevice  where  I  could  approach  the  fire,  and  I  laid  the 
fish  upon  a  crimson  rock,  which  was  cooling  and  harden- 
ing into  the  shape  of  a  vast  ledge  of  lava.  In  this  way, 
by  the  aid  of  nature,  the  fish  were  broiled,  and  we  made 
our  repast. 

There  was  nothing  here  to  invite  a  longer  stay,  and 
we  soon  returned  to  the  athaleb.  We  found  the  mon- 
ster, gorged  with  food,  asleep,  resting  upon  his  hind-legs, 
with  his  breast  supported  against  the  vast  carcass.  Al- 
mah called  it  a  jantannin.  It  was  about  sixty  feet  in 
length  and  twenty  in  thickness,  with  a  vast  horny  head. 


224  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ponderous  jaws,  and  back  covered  with  scales.  Its  eyes 
were  of  prodigious  size,  and  it  bad  the  aj^pearance  of  a 
crocodile,  with  tbe  vast  size  of  a  wbale.  It  was  unlike 
a  crocodile,  however;  for  it  had  fins  rather  than  paws, 
and  must  have  been  as  clumsy  on  the  land  as  a  seal  or  a 
walrus.  It  lay  on  its  side,  and  the  athaleb  had  fed  itself 
from  the  uncovered  flesh  of  its  belly. 

There  was  nothing  here  to  induce  us  to  stay,  and  so 
we  wandered  along  the  beach  in  the  other  direction. 
On  our  right  was  the  bay;  on  our  left  the  rocky  shore, 
which,  beginning  at  the  beach,  ran  back  into  the  coun- 
try, a  waste  of  impassable  rocks,  where  not  a  tree  or 
plant  or  blade  of  grass  relieved  the  appalling  desolation. 
Once  or  twice  we  made  an  attempt  to  penetrate  into  the 
country,  where  openings  appeared.  These  openings 
seemed  like  the  beds  of  dried-up  torrents.  We  were 
able  to  walk  but  a  few  paces,  for  invariably  we  woiild 
come  to  some  immense  blocks  of  rock,  which  barred  all 
farther  progress.  In  this  way  we  explored  the  beach 
for  miles  until  it  terminated  in  a  savage  promontory 
that  rose  abruptly  from  the  sea,  against  which  the  huge 
billows  broke  in  thunder. 

Then  we  retraced  our  steps,  and  again  reached  the 
spot  where  the  athaleb  was  asleep  by  the  jantannin. 
Almah  was  now  too  weary  to  walk  any  farther,  nor  was 
it  desirable  to  do  so;  for,  indeed,  we  had  traversed  all 
that  could  be  visited.  On  one  side  of  the  beach  was 
the  sea,  on  the  other  the  impassable  rocks;  at  one  end 
the  promontory,  at  the  other  the  lava  fires.  There  was 
nothing  more  for  us  to  do  but  to  wait  here  until  the 
athaleb  should  awake,  and  then  our  actions  would  de- 
pend upon  what  we  might  now  decide. 

This  was  the  question  that  was  now  before  us,  and  this 
we  began  to  consider.  "VVe  both  felt  the  most  unspeak- 
able aversion  for  the  island,  and  to  remain  here  any 


Found  in  a  Copioer  Cylinder.  225 

longer  was  impossible.  We  would  once  more  have  to 
mount  the  athaleb,  and  proceed  to  some  other  shore. 
But  where  ?  Ah  !  there  was  the  question.  Not  on 
the  island,  for  it  did  not  seem  possible  that  in  all  its 
extent  there  could  be  one  single  spot  capable  of  afford- 
ing a  resting-place.  Layelah's  information  in  regard  to 
Magones  had  made  that  much  plain.  I  had  not  taken 
in  her  full  meaning,  but  now  mine  eyes  had  seen  it. 
Yet  where  else  could  we  go?  Almah  could  not  tell 
where  under  the  sky  lay  that  land  which  she  loved;  I 
could  not  guess  where  to  go  to  find  the  land  of  the  Orin. 
Even  if  I  did  know,  I  did  not  feel  able  to  guide  the 
course  of  the  athaleb;  and  I  felt  sure  that  if  we  were  to 
mount  again,  the  mighty  monster  would  wing  his  flight 
back  again  to  the  very  place  from  which  we  had  escaped 
— the  amir.  These  thoughts  weighed  down  our  spirits. 
We  felt  that  we  had  gained  nothing  by  our  flight,  and 
that  our  future  was  dark  indeed.  The  only  hope  left  us 
was  that  we  might  be  able  to  guide  the  course  of  the 
athaleb  in  some  different  direction  altogether,  so  that 
we  should  not  be  carried  back  to  the  Kosekin. 

And  now,  worn  out  by  the  long  fatigues  of  this  jom, 
we  thought  of  sleep.     Almah  laid  down  upon  the  sand, 
and  I  seated  myself,  leaning  against  a  rock,  a  little  dis- 
tance off,  having  first  reloaded  ray  rifle  and  pistol. 
10* 


220  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

EECAPTUKB, 

.How  long  I  slept  I  do  not  know;  but  in  the  midst  of 
my  sleep  there  sounded  voices,  which  at  first  intermin- 
gled themselves  with  my  dreams,  but  gradually  became 
separate  and  sounded  from  without,  rousing  me  from  my 
slumbers.  I  opened  my  eyes  drowsily,  but  the  sight 
that  I  saw  was  so  amazing  that  in  an  instant  all  sleep 
left  me.  I  started  to  my  feet,  and  gazed  in  utter  be- 
wilderment upon  the  scene  before  me. 

The  aurora  light  was  shining  with  unusual  brilliancy, 
and  disclosed  everything — the  sea,  the  shore,  the  athaleb, 
the  jantannin,  the  promontory,  all  —  more  plainly  and 
more  luminously  than  before;  but  it  was  not  any  of 
these  things  that  now  excited  my  attention  and  ren- 
dered me  dumb.  I  saw  Almah  standing  there  at  a  little 
distance,  with  despairing  face,  surrounded  by  a  band  of 
armed  Kosekin;  while  immediately  before  me,  regarding 
me  with  a  keen  glance  and  an  air  of  triumph,  was  Laj-elah. 

"Atces?7izori  alo)ila,"  said  she,  with  a  sweet  smile, 
giving  me  the  usual  salutation  of  the  Kosekin. 

I  was  too  bewildered  to  say  a  word,  and  stood  mute 
as  before,  looking  first  at  her  and  then  at  Aliuah. 

The  sight  of  Almah  a  prisoner  once  more,  surrounded 
by  the  Kosekin,  excited  me  to  madness.  I  seized  my 
rifle,  and  raised  it  as  if  to  take  aim,  but  Almah,  who 
understood  the  movement,  cried  to  me: 

"  Put  down  your  sejyet-ram^  Atam-or  !  you  can  do 
nothing  for  me.     The  Kosekin  are  too  numerous." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  227 

"  Sepet-ram  P''  said  Layelah;  "  what  do  mean  by  tliat  ? 
If  your  sepet-ram  lias  any  power  do  not  try  to  use  it,  or 
else  I  shall  have  to  order  my  followers  to  give  to  Almah 
the  blessing  of  death." 

At  this  my  rifle  was  lowered:  the  whole  truth  flashed 
upon  me,  and  I  saw,  too,  the  madness  of  resistance.  I 
might  kill  one  or  two;  but  the  rest  would  do  as  Layelah 
said,  and  I  should  speedily  be  disarmed.  Well  I  knew 
how  powerless  were  the  thunders  of  my  fire-arras  to 
terrify  these  Kosekin;  for  the  prospect  of  death  would 
only  rouse  them  to  a  mad  enthusiasm,  and  they  would 
all  rush  upon  me  as  they  would  rush  uj^on  a  jantannin — 
to  slay  and  be  slain.  The  odds  were  too  great.  A  crowd 
of  Europeans  could  be  held  in  check  far  more  easily  than 
these  death-loving  Kosekin.  The  whole  truth  was  thus 
plain :  we  were  prisoners,  and  were  at  their  mercy. 

Layelah  showed  no  excitement  or  anger  whatever. 
She  looked  and  spoke  in  her  usual  gracious  and  amiable 
fashion,  with  a  sweet  smile  on  her  face. 

"  We  knew,"  said  she,  "  that  you  would  be  in  distress 
in  this  desolate  place,  and  that  you  would  not  know 
where  to  go  from  Magones;  and  so  we  have  come,  full 
of  the  most  eager  desire  to  relieve  your  wants.  We 
have  brought  with  us  food  and  drink,  and  are  ready  to 
do  everything  for  you  that  you  may  desire.  We  have 
had  great  trouble  in  finding  you,  and  have  coursed  over 
the  shores  for  vast  distances,  and  far  over  the  interior,  but 
our  athalebs  found  you  at  last  by  their  scent.  And  we  re- 
joice to  have  found  you  in  time,  and  that  you  are  both  so 
well,  for  we  have  been  afraid  that  you  have  been  sujffering. 
Nay,  Atam-or,  do  not  thank  us,  thanks  are  distasteful  to 
the  Kosekin:  these  brave  followers  of  mine  will  all  bo 
amply  rewarded  for  this,  for  they  will  all  be  made  pau- 
pers; but  as  for  myself,  I  want  no  higher  reward  than  the 
delightful  thought  that  I  have  saved  you  from  suffering." 


228  A  Strange  Manuscrq)t 

The  beautiful,  smiling  Layelah,  who  addressed  me  in 
this  way  with  her  sweet  voice,  was  certainly  not  to  be 
treated  as  an  enemy.  Against  her  a  rifle  could  not  be 
levelled;  she  would  have  looked  at  me  with  the  same 
sweet  smile,  and  that  smile  would  have  melted  all  my 
resolution.  Nor  could  I  even  persist  in  my  determina- 
tion to  remain.  Remain  !  For  what  ?  For  utter  de- 
spair !  And  yet  where  else  could  we  go  ? 

"You  do  not  know  where  lie  the  lands  of  the  Orin," 
said  Layelah.  "  The  athaleb  does  not  know.  You  could 
not  guide  him  if  you  did  know.  You  are  helpless  on 
his  back.  The  art  of  driving  an  athaleb  is  difficult,  and 
cannot  be  learned  without  long  and  severe  practice. 
My  fear  was  that  the  athaleb  might  break  away  from 
you  and  return,  leaving  you  to  perish  here.  Had  you 
tried  to  leave  this  place  he  would  have  brought  yoti 
back  to  the  a7;/^>." 

To  this  I  said  nothing — partly  because  it  was  so  true 
that  I  had  no  answer  to  make,  and  partly  also  out  of 
deep  mortification  and  dejection.  My  pride  was  wound- 
ed at  being  thus  so  easily  baflled  by  a  girl  like  Layelah, 
and  all  my  grief  was  stirred  by  the  sadness  of  Almah. 
In  her  eyes  there  seemed  even  now  the  look  of  one  who 
sees  death  inevitable,  and  the  glance  she  gave  to  me 
was  like  an  eternal  farewell. 

Almah  now  spoke,  addressing  herself  to  Layelah. 

"  Death,"  said  she,  in  a  voice  of  indescribable  mourn- 
fulness, "  is  better  here  than  with  you.  We  would 
rather  die  here  than  go  back.  Let  us,  I  pray  you,  re- 
ceive the  blessing  of  death  here.  Let  us  be  paupers  and 
exiles,  and  die  on  Magones." 

Layelah  heard  this  and  stood  for  a  moment  in  deep 
thought. 

"No  one  but  a  stranger,"  said  she,  at  length,  "would 
ask  such  a  favor  as  that.     Do  you  not  know  that  what 


Found  in  a  Cop2')er  Cylinder.  229 

you  ask  is  among  the  very  highest  honors  of  the  Kosekin  ? 
Who  am  I  that  I  can  venture  to  grant  such  a  request  as 
that  ?  Ask  for  anything  in  my  power,  and  I  will  be 
glad  to  grant  it.  I  have  already  arranged  that  you 
shall  be  separated  from  Atam-or;  and  that,  surely,  is  a 
high  privilege.  I  might  consent  to  bind  you  hand  and 
foot,  after  the  manner  of  the  most  distinguished  Asirin^' 
you  may  also  be  blindfolded  if  you  wish  it.  I  might  even 
promise,  after  we  return  to  the  amir,  to  keep  you  con- 
fined in  utter  darkness,  with  barely  sufficient  food  to  keep 
you  alive  until  the  time  of  the  sacrifice;  in  short,  there 
is  no  blessing  known  among  the  Kosekin  that  I  will  not 
give  so  long  as  it  is  in  my  power.  And  so,  beloved  Al- 
mah,"  continued  Lay  elah,"  you  have  every  reason  for  hap- 
piness; you  have  all  the  highest  blessings  known  among 
the  Kosekin:  separation  from  your  lover,  poverty,  want, 
darkness;  and,  finally,  the  prospect  of  inevitable  death 
ever  before  you  as  the  crowning  glory  of  your  lot." 

These  words  seemed  to  the  Kosekin  the  very  excess  of 
magnanimity,  and  involuntary  murmurs  of  admiration 
escaped  them;  although  it  is  just  possible  that  they  mur- 
mured at  the  greatness  of  the  favor  that  was  offered. 
But  to  me  it  sounded  like  fiendish  mockery,  and  to  Al- 
mah  it  sounded  the  same;  for  a  groan  escaped  her,  her 
fortitude  gave  way,  she  sank  on  her  knees,  buried  her 
head  in  her  hands,  and  wept. 

"  Almah,"  cried  I,  in  a  fury,  "  we  .will  not  go  back — 
wc  will  not  be  separated  !  I  will  destroy  all  the  atha- 
lebs,  and  we  shall  all  perish  here  together.  At  least, 
you  and  I  will  not  be  separated." 

At  this  Almah  started  up. 

"No,  no,"  said  she — "no;  let  us  go  back.  Here  we 
have  nothing  but  death." 

"  But  we  have  death  also  at  the  amir,  and  a  more  ter- 
rible one,"  said  I. 


230  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  If  you  kill  the  athalcbs,"  said  Layelab,  "  I  will  give 
Almab  the  blessing  of  death." 

At  this  I  recoiled  in  horror,  and  my  resolution  again 
gave  "way. 

"You  have  some  mysterious  power  of  conferring 
death,"  continued  Layelab,  "with  what  Almab  calls  your 
scpet-ram  ;  but  do  not  kill  the  atbalebs,  for  it  will  do 
you  no  good.  Almab  would  then  receive  the  blessing 
of  death.  My  followers,  these  noble  Kosekin,  would  re- 
joice in  thus  gaining  exile  and  death  on  Magones.  As 
for  myself,  it  would  be  my  highest  happiness  to  be  bere 
alone  witb  you.  "With  you  I  should  live  for  a  few  sweet 
Joms,  and  with  you  I  should  die;  so  go  on  —  kill  the 
atbalebs  if  you  wish." 

"Do  not!"  cried  Almab — "do  not!  There  is  no 
hope.  We  are  their  prisoners,  and  our  only  hope  is  in 
submission." 

Upon  this  all  further  thought  of  resistance  left  me, 
and  I  stood  in  silence,  stolidly  waiting  for  their  action. 
As  I  looked  around  I  noticed  a  movement  near  the  jan- 
tannin,  and  saw  several  atbalebs  there  which  were  de- 
vouring its  flesh.  I  now  went  over  to  Almab  and  spoke 
to  her.  We  were  both  full  of  despair.  It  seemed  as 
though  we  might  never  meet  again.  We  were  to  be 
separated  now;  but  who  could  say  whether  we  should 
be  permitted  to  see  eacb  other  after  leaving  this  place. 
We  had  but  little  to  say.  I  held  her  in  my  arms,  re- 
gardless of  the  presence  of  others;  and  tbese,  seeing  our 
emotion,  at  once  moved  away,  witb  the  usual  delicacy 
of  the  Kosekin,  and  followed  Layelab  to  the  jantannia 
to  see  about  the  atbalebs. 

At  last  our  interview  was  terminated.  Layelab  came 
and  informed  us  that  all  was  ready  for  our  departure. 
We  walked  sadly  to  the  place,  and  found  the  atbalebs 
crouched  to  receive  their  riders.     There  were  four  be- 


Found  in  a   Cop2)€r   Cylinder.  231 

sitlcs  ours.  Layelali  informed  me  that  I  was  to  go  with 
her,  and  Almah  was  to  go  on  another  athaleb.  I  en- 
treated her  to  let  Almah  go  with  me;  but  she  declined, 
saying  that  our  athaleb  could  only  carry  two,  as  he 
seemed  fatigued,  and  it  would  not  be  safe  to  overload 
him  for  so  long  a  flight.  I  told  her  that  Almah  and  I 
could  go  together  on  the  same  athaleb;  but  she  objected 
on  the  ground  of  my  ignorance  of  driving.  And  so,  re- 
monstrances and  objections  being  alike  useless,  I  was 
compelled  to  yield  to  the  arrangements  that  had  been 
made.  Almah  mounted  on  another  athaleb.  I  mounted 
with  Layelab,  and  then  the  great  monsters  expanded 
their  mighty  wings,  rose  into  the  air,  and  soon  were 
speeding  over  the  waters. 

"We  went  on  in  silence  for  some  time.  I  was  too  de- 
spondent to  say  a  word,  and  all  my  thoughts  turned 
towards  Almah,  who  was  now  separated  from  me — per- 
haps forever.  The  other  athalebs  went  ahead,  at  long 
intervals  apart,  flying  in  a  straight  line,  while  ours  Avas 
last.  Layelah  said  nothing.  She  sat  in  front  of  me; 
her  back  was  turned  towards  me;  she  held  in  her  hands 
the  reins,  which  hung  quite  loose  at  first,  but  after  a 
while  she  drew  them  up,  and  seemed  to  be  directing  our 
course.  For  some  time  I  did  not  notice  anything  in 
particular,  for  my  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  athaleb  im- 
mediately before  us,  upon  which  was  seated  the  loved 
form  of  Almah,  which  I  could  easily  recognize.  But  our 
athaleb  flew  slowly,  and  I  noticed  that  we  were  falling 
behind.  I  said  this  to  Layelah,  but  she  only  remarked 
that  it  was  fatigued  with  its  long  journey.  To  this  I 
objected  that  the  others  had  made  as  long  a  journey,  and 
insisted  that  she  should  draw  nearer.  This  she  at  first 
refused  to  do;  but  at  length,  as  I  grew  persistent,  she 
complied,  or  pretended  to  do  so.  In  spite  of  this,  how- 
ever, we  again  fell  behind,  and  I  noticed  that  this  always 


232  A  Strange  Manuscript 

happened  when  the  reins  were  drawn  tight.  On  making 
this  discovery  I  sudden)}^  seized  both  reins  and  let  them 
trail  loose,  whereupon  the  athaleb  at  once  showed  a  per- 
ceptible increase  of  speed,  which  proved  that  there  was 
no  fatigue  in  him  whatever.     This  I  said  to  Layelah. 

She  acquiesced  with  a  sweet  smile,  and,  taking  the 
reins  again,  she  sat  around  so  as  to  face  me,  and  said, 

"  You  are  very  quick.  It  is  no  use  to  try  to  deceive 
yon,  Atam-or  :  I  wish  to  fall  behind." 

''  Why  ?" 

"  To  save  you  ?" 

"  To  save  me  ?" 

"  Yes.  I  can  take  you  to  the  land  of  the  Orin.  Now 
is  the  time  to  escape  from  death.  If  you  go  back  you 
must  surely  die;  but  now,  if  you  will  be  guided  by  me, 
I  can  take  you  to  the  land  of  the  Orin.  There  they 
all  hate  death;  they  love  life;  they  live  in  the  light. 
There  you  will  find  those  who  are  like  yourself;  there 
you  can  love  and  be  happy." 

"  But  what  of  Almah?"  I  asked. 

Layelah  made  a  pretty  gesture  of  despair. 

"  You  are  always  talking  of  Almah,"  said  she. 
"  What  is  Almah  to  you  ?  She  is  cold,  dull,  sad !  She 
never  will  speak.     Let  her  go." 

"Never!"  said  I.  "Almah  is  worth  more  than  all 
the  world  to  me." 

Layelah  sighed. 

"I  can  never,  never,  never,"  said  she,  "get  from  you 
tlie  least  little  bit  of  a  kind  word — even  after  all  that  I 
have  done  for  you,  and  Avhen  you  know  that  I  would 
lie  down  and  let  you  trample  me  under  your  feet  if  it 
gave  you  any  pleasui*e." 

"  Oh,  that  is  not  the  question  at  all,"  said  I.  "  You 
are  asking  me  to  leave  Almah — to  be  false  to  her — and 
I  cannot." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  233 

"  Among  the  Kosekin,"  said  Layelah,  "it  is  the  high- 
est hap2)iness  for  lovers  to  give  one  another  up." 

"I  am  not  one  of  the  Kosekin,"  said  I.  "I  cannot 
let  her  go  away — I  cannot  let  her  go  back  to  the  amir 
— to  meet  death  alone.  If  she  dies  she  shall  see  me  by 
her  side,  ready  to  die  with  her." 

At  this  Layelah  laughed  merrily. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  said  she,  "  that  you  believe  that  ? 
Do  you  not  know  that  if  Almah  goes  back  alone  she 
will  not  die  !" 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  Why,  she  can  only  die  when  you  are  in  her  compa- 
ny. She  has  lived  for  years  among  us,  and  we  have 
waited  for  some  one  to  appear  whom  she  might  love,  so 
that  we  might  give  them  both  the  blessing  of  death.  If 
that  one  should  leave  her  Almah  could  not  receive  the 
blessing.  She  would  be  compelled  to  live  longer,  until 
some  other  lover  should  appear.  Now,  by  going  with 
me  to  the  land  of  the  Orin  you  will  save  Almah's  life — 
and  as  for  Almah,  why  she  will  be  happy — and  dear  papa 
is  quite  willing  to  marry  her.  You  must  see,  therefore, 
dear  Atam-or,  that  my  plan  is  the  very  best  that  can  be 
thought  of  for  all  of  us,  and,  above  all,  for  Almah." 

This,  however,  was  intolerable;  and  I  could  not  con- 
sent to  desert  Almah,  even  if,  by  doing  so,  I  should 
save  her  life.  My  own  nature  revolted  from  it.  Still, 
it  was  not  a  thing  which  I  could  dismiss  on  the  instant. 
The  safety  of  Almah's  life  indeed  required  considera- 
tion; but  then  the  thought  came  of  her  wonder  at  my 
desertion.  Would  she  not  think  me  false  ?  Would  not 
the  thought  of  my  falsity  be  worse  than  death  ? 

"No,"  said  I ;  "  I  will  not  leave  her — not  even  to  save 
her  life.  Even  among  us  there  are  things  worse  than 
death.  Almah  would  rather  die  by  the  sacrificial  knife 
than  linger  on  with  a  broken  heart." 


234  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Layclab,  sweetly;  "she  will  rejoice 
that  you  are  safe.  Do  you  not  see  that  while  you  are 
together  death  is  inevitable,  but  if  you  separate  you  may 
both  live  and  be  happy  ?" 

"But  she  will  think  me  dead,"  said  I,  as  a  new  idea 
occurred.  "  She  will  think  that  some  accident  has  be- 
fallen me." 

"Oh,  no  she  won't,"  said  Layelah;  "she  will  think 
that  you  have  gone  off  with  me." 

"Then  that  will  be  worse,  and  I  would  rather  die, 
and  have  lier  die  with  me,  than  live  and  have  her  think 
me  false." 

"  You  are  very,  very  obstinate,"  said  Layelah,  sweetly. 

I  made  no  reply.  During  this  conversation  I  had 
been  too  intent  upon  Layelah's  words  to  notice  the  atha- 
lebs  before  me;  but  now,  as  I  looked  up,  I  saw  that  we 
had  fallen  far  behind,  and  that  Layelah  had  headed  our 
athaleb  in  a  new  direction.  Upon  this  I  once  more 
snatched  the  reins  from  her,  and  tried  to  return  to  our 
former  course.  This,  however,  I  was  utterly  unable 
to  do. 

Layelah  laughed. 

"  You  will  have  to  let  me  guide  our  course,"  said  she. 
"You  can  do  nothing.  The  athaleb  will  now  go  in  a 
straight  line  to  the  land  of  the  Orin." 

Upon  this  I  started  up  in  wild  excitement. 

"Never,  never,  never  !"  I  cried,  in  a  fury.  "I  will 
not;  I  will  destroy  this  athaleb  and  perish  in  the  water  !" 

As  I  said  this  I  raised  my  rifle. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?"  cried  Layelah,  in  ac- 
cents of  fear. 

"  Turn  back,"  I  cried,  "  or  I  Avill  kill  this  athaleb  !" 

Upon  this  Layelah  dropped  the  reins,  stood  up,  and 
looked  at  me  with  a  smile. 

"  Oh,  Atam-or,"  said  she, "  what  a  thing  to  ask  !   How 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  235 

can  I  go  back  now,  when  wc  have  started  for  the  land 
of  the  Orin  ?" 

"  We  shall  never  reach  the  land  of  the  Orin,"  I  cried; 
"we  shall  perish  in  the  sea  !" 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Layelah;  "you  cannot  kill  the  atha- 
leb.  You  are  no  more  than  an  insect;  your  rod  is  a 
weak  thing,  and  will  break  on  his  iron  frame," 

It  was  evident  that  Layelah  had  not  the  slightest  idea 
of  the  powers  of  my  rifle.  There  was  no  hesitation  on 
my  part.  I  took  aim  with  the  rifle.  At  that  moment 
I  was  desperate.  I  thought  of  nothing  but  the  swift 
flight  of  the  athaleb,  which  was  bearing  me  away  for- 
ever from  Almah.  I  could  not  endure  that  thought, 
and  still  less  could  I  endure  the  thought  that  she  should 
believe  me  false.  It  was  therefore  in  a  wild  passion  of 
rage  and  despair  that  I  levelled  my  rifle,  taking  aim  as 
well  as  I  could  at  what  seemed  a  vital  part  under  the 
wing.  The  motion  of  the  wnng  rendered  this  difficult, 
however,  and  I  hesitated  a  moment,  so  as  to  make  sure. 
All  this  time  Layelah  stood  looking  at  me  with  a  smile 
on  her  rosy  lips  and  a  merry  twinkle  in  her  eyes — evi- 
dently regarding  my  words  as  empty  threats  and  my 
act  as  a  vain  pretence,  and  utterly  unprepared  for  what 
was  to  follow. 

Suddenly  I  fired  both  barrels  in  quick  succession. 
The  reports  rang  out  in  thunder  over  the  sea.  The 
athaleb  gave  a  wild,  appalling  shriek,  and  fell  straight 
down  into  the  water,  fluttering  vainly  with  one  wing, 
while  the  other  hung  down  useless,  A  shriek  of  horror 
burst  from  Layelah,  She  started  back,  and  fell  from 
her  standing-place  into  the  waves  beneath.  The  next 
instant  we  were  all  in  the  water  together — the  athaleb, 
writhing  and  lashing  the  water  into  foam,  while  I  invol- 
untarily clung  to  his  coarse  mane,  and  expected  death 
every  moment. 


236  A  Strange  Mamiscript 

But  death  did  not  come;  for  the  athalelj  did  not  sink, 
but  floated  with  his  back  out  of  the  water,  the  right 
pinion  being  sunk  underneath  and  useless,  and  the  left 
struggling  vainly  with  the  sea.  But  after  a  time  he 
folded  up  the  left  wing  and  drew  it  close  in  to  his  side, 
and  propelled  himself  with  his  long  hind -legs.  His 
right  wing  was  broken,  but  he  did  not  seem  to  have 
suffered  any  other  injury. 

Suddenly  I  heard  a  cry  behind  me : 

*'  Atam-or  !  oh,  Atam-or  !" 

I  looked  around  and  saw  Layelah.  She  was  swimming 
in  the  water  and  seemed  exhausted.  In  the  agitation 
of  the  past  few  moments  I  had  lost  sight  of  her,  and 
had  thought  that  she  was  drowned;  but  now  the  sight 
of  her  roused  me  from  my  stupor  and  brought  me  back 
to  myself.  She  was  swimming,  yet  her  strokes  were 
weak  and  her  face  full  of  despair.  In  an  instant  I  had 
flung  off  my  coat,  rolled  up  the  rifle  and  pistol  in  its 
folds,  and  sprung  into  the  water.  A  few  strokes  brought 
me  to  Layelah.  A  moment  more  and  I  should  have 
been  too  late.  I  held  her  head  out  of  water,  told  her 
not  to  struggle,  and  then  struck  out  to  go  back.  It 
would  have  been  impossible  for  me  to  do  this  encum- 
bered with  such  a  load,  had  I  not  fortunately  perceived 
the  floating  ynng  of  the  athaleb  close  beside  me.  This 
I  seized,  and  by  means  of  it  drew  myself  -with  Layelah 
alongside;  after  which  I  succeeded  in  putting  her  on 
the  back  of  the  animal,  and  soon  followed  myself. 

The  terror  of  the  rifle  had  overwhelmed  her,  and  the 
suddenness  of  the  catastrophe  had  almost  killed  her. 
She  had  struggled  in  the  water  for  a  long  time,  and  had 
called  to  me  in  vain.  Now  she  was  quite  exhausted, 
and  lay  in  my  arms  trembling  and  sobbing.  I  spoke  to 
her  encouragingly,  and  wrapped  her  in  my  coat,  and 
rubbed  her  hands  and  feet,  until  at  last  she  Ijegan  to  re- 


"THE  i,'EXX   LNbi^VNT   WE   WEKE   ALL   IN   THE   WATER   TOL.ETUEii. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  237 

cover.  Then  she  wept  quietly  for  a  long  time ;  then  the 
weeping-fit  passed  away.  She  looked  up  with  a  smile, 
and  in  her  face  there  was  unutterable  gratitude. 

"Atam-or,"  said  she,  "I  never  loved  death  like  the 
rest  of  the  Kosekin  ;  but  now — but  now — I  feel  that 
death  with  you  would  be  sweet." 

Then  tears  came  to  her  eyes,  and  I  found  tears  com- 
ing to  my  own,  so  that  I  had  to  stoop  down  and  kiss 
away  the  tears  of  Layelah.  As  I  did  so  she  twined 
both  her  arms  around  ray  neck,  held  me  close  to  her, 
and  sighed. 

"  Oh,  Atam-or,  death  with  you  is  sweet !  And  now 
you  cannot  reproach  me —  You  have  done  this  your- 
self, Avith  your  terrible  power ;  and  you  have  saved  my 
life  to  let  me  die  with  you.  You  do  not  hate  me,  then, 
Atam-or,  do  you  ?  Just  speak  once  to  a  poor  little  girl, 
and  say  that  you  do  not  hate  her  !" 

All  this  was  very  pitiable.  What  man  that  had  a 
heart  in  his  breast  could  listen  unmoved  to  words  like 
these,  or  look  without  emotion  upon  one  so  beautiful,  so 
gentle,  and  so  tender  ?  It  was  no  longer  Layelah  in 
triumph  with  whom  I  had  to  do,  but  Layelah  in  distress  : 
the  light  banter,  the  teasing,  mocking  smile,  the  kin- 
dling eye,  the  ready  laugh — all  were  gone.  There  was 
nothing  now  but  mournful  tenderness — the  timid  appeal 
of  one  who  dreaded  a  repulse,  the  glance  of  deep  affec- 
tion, the  abandonment  of  love. 

I  held  Layelah  in  my  arms,  and  I  thought  of  nothing 
now  but  words  of  consolation  for  her.  Life  seemed 
over;  death  seemed  inevitable;  and  there,  on  the  back 
of  the  athalcb,  we  floated  on  the  waters  and  waited  for 
our  doom. 


238  A  ^'trange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

FALLING,  LIKE    ICAKUS,  INTO   TUE   SEA. 

TuE  aurora  light,  "which  had  flamed  brightly,  was 
now  extinct,  and  darkness  was  upon  the  face  of  the 
deep,  where  we  floated  on  the  back  of  the  monster. 
He  swam,  forcing  himself  onward  with  his  hind-legs, 
with  one  broad  wing  folded  up  close.  Had  both  been 
folded  up  the  athaleb  could  have  sw^im  rapidly;  but  the 
broken  wing  lay  expanded  over  the  Avater,  tossing  with 
the  waves,  so  that  our  progress  was  but  slight.  Had  it 
not  been  for  this  the  athaleb's  own  instinct  might  have 
served  to  guide  him  towards  some  shore  which  we  might 
have  hoped  to  reach  before  life  was  extinct;  but  as  it 
was,  all  thought  of  reaching  any  shore  was  out  of  the 
question,  and  there  arose  before  us  only  the  prospect  of 
death — a  death,  too,  which  must  be  lingering  and  pain- 
ful and  cruel.  Thus  amid  the  darkness  we  floated, 
and  the  waves  dashed  around  us,  and  the  athaleb  never 
ceased  to  struggle  in  the  water,  trying  to  force  his  way 
onward.  It  seemed  sweet  at  that  moment  to  have  Laye- 
lah  with  me,  for  what  could  have  been  more  horrible 
than  loneliness  amid  those  black  waters  ?  and  Layelah's 
mind  was  made  up  to  meet  death  Avith  joy,  so  that  her 
mood  conveyed  itself  to  me.  And  I  thought  that  since 
death  was  inevitable  it  Avere  better  to  meet  it  thus,  and 
in  this  Avay  end  my  life — not  amid  the  horrors  of  the 
sacrifice  and  the  Jlista  IioseA;  but  in  a  way  Avhich 
seemed  natural  to  a  seafaring  man  like  myself,  and 
with  Avhich  I  had  long  familiarized  my  thoughts.     For 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  239 

I  had  fallen  ui3on  a  world  and  among  people  which  were 
all  alien  and  unintelligible  to  rae;  and  to  live  on  would 
only  open  the  way  to  new  and  worse  calamities.  There 
was  peace  also  in  the  thought  that  my  death  would 
snatch  the  prospect  of  death  from  Almah.  She  would 
now  be  safe.  It  was  only  when  we  were  together  as 
lovers  that  death  threatened  her;  but  now  since  I  was 
removed  she  could  resume  her  former  life,  and  she  might 
remember  rae  only  as  an  episode  in  that  life.  That  she 
would  remember  me  I  felt  sure,  and  that  she  would  weep 
for  me  and  mourn  after  me  was  undeniable;  but  time 
as  it  passed  would  surely  alleviate  that  grief,  and  Almah 
would  live  and  be  happy.  Perhaps  she  might  yet  re- 
gain her  native  land  and  rejoin  her  loved  kindred,  whom 
she  would  tell  of  the  stranger  from  an  unknown  shore 
who  had  loved  her,  and  through  whose  death  she  had 
gained  her  life.  Such  were  the  thoughts  that  filled  my 
mind  as  I  floated  over  the  black  water  with  darkness  all 
around,  as  I  held  Layelah  in  my  arms,  with  my  coat 
wrapped  around  her,  and  murmured  in  her  ear  tender 
words  of  consolation  and  sympathy. 

A  long,  long  time  had  passed — but  how  long  I  know 
not — when  suddenly  Layelah  gave  a  cry,  and  started  up 
on  her  knees,  with  her  head  bent  forward  listening  in- 
tently. I  too  listened,  and  I  could  distinctly  hear  the 
sound  of  breakers.  It  was  evident  that  we  were  ap- 
proaching some  shore;  and,  from  what  I  remembered  of 
the  shore  of  Magones,  such  a  shore  meant  death  and 
death  alone.  We  stood  up  and  tried  to  peer  thi'ough 
the  gloom.  At  length  we  saw  a  whole  line  of  breakers, 
and  beyond  all  was  black.  AVe  waited  anxiously  in  that 
position,  and  drew  steadily  nearer.  It  was  evident  that 
the  athaleb  was  desirous  of  reaching  that  shore,  and  we 
could  do  nothing  but  await  the  result. 

But  the  athaleb  had  his  wits  about  him,  and  swam 


240  A  Strange  Manuscript 

aloncr  on  a  line  with  the  Lreakers  for  some  distance,  until 
at  length  an  opening  appeared,  into  which  he  directed 
his  course.  Passing  through  this  we  reached  still  water, 
which  seemed  like  a  lagoon  surrounded  by  a  coral  reef. 
The  athaleb  swam  on  farther,  and  at  length  we  saw  be- 
fore us  an  island  with  a  broad,  sandy  beach,  beyond 
which  was  the  shadowy  outline  of  a  forest.  Here  the 
monster  landed,  and  dragged  himself  wearily  upon  the 
sand,  where  he  spread  his  vast  bulk  out,  and  lay  pant- 
ing heavily.  We  dismounted — I  first,  so  as  to  assist 
Layelah  ;  and  then  it  seemed  as  if  death  were  postponed 
for  a  time,  since  we  had  reached  this  place  where  the 
rich  and  rank  vegetation  spoke  of  nothing  but  vigorous 
life. 

Fortune  had  indeed  dealt  strangely  with  rae.  I  had 
fled  with  Almah,  and  with  her  had  reached  one  desolate 
shore,  and  now  I  found  myself  with  Layelah  upon  an- 
other shore,  desolate  also,  but  not  a  savage  wilderness. 
This  lonely  island,  ringed  with  the  black  ocean  waters, 
was  the  abode  of  a  life  of  its  own,  and  there  was  noth- 
ing here  to  crush  the  soul  into  a  horror  of  despair  like 
that  which  was  caused  by  the  tremendous  scenes  on  Ma- 
gones. 

In  an  instant  Layelah  revived  from  her  gloom.  She 
looked  around,  clapped  her  little  hands,  laughed  aloud, 
and  danced  for  joy. 

"  Oh,  Atam-or,"  she  cried,  "  see — see  the  trees,  see  the 
grass,  the  bushes  !  This  is  a  land  of  wonder.  As  for 
food,  you  can  call  it  down  from  the  sky  with  your  se})et- 
ram,  or  we  can  find  it  on  the  rocks.  Oh,  Atam-or  !  life 
is  better  than  death,  and  we  can  live  here  and  we  can  be 
happy.  This  shall  be  better  to  us  than  the  lands  of  the 
Orin,  for  we  shall  be  alone,  and  we  shall  be  all  in  all  to 
one  another." 

I  could  not  help  laughing,  and  I  said, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  241 

"Layelah,  tins  is  not  the  language  of  the  Kosekin. 
You  should  at  once  go  to  the  other  side  of  this  island, 
and  sit  down  and  wait  for  death." 

"  Never,"  said  Layelah  ;  "  you  are  mine,  Atam-or,  and 
I  never  will  leave  you.  If  you  wish  rae  to  die  for  you 
I  will  gladly  lay  down  my  life  ;  but  I  will  not  leave  you. 
I  love  you  Atam-or ;  and  now,  whether  it  be  life  or  death, 
it  is  all  the  same  so  long  as  I  have  you." 

Our  submersion  in  the  sea  and  our  long  exposure  after- 
wards had  chilled  both  of  us,  but  Layelah  felt  it  most. 
She  was  shivering  in  her  wet  clothes  in  spite  of  my  coat, 
which  I  insisted  on  her  wearing,  and  I  determined,  if  pos- 
sible, to  kindle  a  fire.  Fortunately  my  powder  was  dry, 
for  I  had  thrown  off  my  flask  with  my  coat  before 
jumping  into  the  sea,  and  thus  I  had  the  means  of  creat- 
ing fire.  I  rubbed  wet  powder  over  my  handkerchief, 
and  then  gathered  some  dried  sticks  and  moss.  After 
this  I  found  some  dead  trees,  the  boughs  of  which  were 
dry  and  brittle,  and  in  the  exercise  I  soon  grew  warm, 
and  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  a  great  heap  of  fag- 
ots accumulating.  I  fired  my  pistol  into  the  handker- 
chief, which,  being  saturated  with  powder,  caught  the 
fire,  and  this  I  blew  into  a  flame  among  the  dried  moss. 
A  bright  fire  now  sprang  up  and  blazed  high  in  the  air  ; 
while  I,  in  order  to  have  an  ample  supply  of  fuel,  con- 
tinued to  gather  it  for  a  long  time.  At  length,  as  I  came 
back,  I  saw  Layelah  lying  on  the  sand  in  front  of  the 
fire,  sound  asleep.  I  was  glad  of  this,  for  she  was  weary, 
and  had  seemed  so  weak  and  tremulous  that  I  had  felt 
anxious  ;  so  now  I  arranged  my  coat  over  her  carefully, 
and  then  sat  do^vn  for  a  time  to  think  over  this  new  turn 
which  my  fortune  had  taken. 

This  island  was  certainly  very  unlike  Magones,  yet  I 
had  no  surety  but  that  it  might  be  equally  destitute  of 
food.  This  was  the  first  question,  and  I  could  not  think 
11 


242  A  Strange  Manuscript 

of  sleep  until  I  had  found  out  more  about  the  place. 
The  aurora  light,  which  constantly  brightens  and  lessens 
in  this  strange  world,  was  now  shining  gloriously,  and 
I  set  forth  to  explore  the  island.  The  beach  was  of  fine 
sand  all  the  way.  The  water  was  smooth,  and  shut  in 
on  every  side  by  an  outer  reef  against  which  the  sea- 
waves  broke  incessantly.  As  I  walked  I  soon  jjcrceived 
wdiat  the  island  was  ;  for  I  had  often  seen  such  places 
before  in  the  South  Pacific.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  coral  islet, 
Avith  a  reef  of  rocks  encircling  it  on  every  side.  The 
vegetation,  however,  was  unlike  anything  in  the  world 
beyond  ;  for  it  consisted  of  many  varieties  of  tree  ferns, 
that  looked  like  palms,  and  giant  grasses,  and  bamboo. 
The  island  Avas  but  small,  and  the  entire  circuit  was  not 
over  a  mile.  I  saw  nothing  that  looked  like  food,  nor 
did  it  seem  likely  that  in  so  small  a  place  there  could  be 
enough  sustenance  for  us.  Our  only  hope  would  be 
from  the  sea,  yet  even  here  I  could  see  no  signs  of  any 
sort  of  shell-fish.  On  the  whole  the  prospect  was  dis- 
couraging, and  I  returned  to  the  starting-j^oint  with  a 
feeling  of  dejection  ;  but  this  feeling  did  not  trouble  me 
much  at  that  time  :  my  chief  thought  was  of  rest,  and 
I  flung  myself  down  on  the  sand  and  fell  asleep, 

I  was  awakened  by  a  cry  from  Layelah.  Starting  up, 
I  saw  her  standing  and  looking  into  the  sky.  She  was 
intensely  excited.  As  soon  as  she  saw  me  she  rushed 
towards  me  and  burst  into  tears,  while  I,  full  of  wonder, 
could  only  stare  upward. 

"  OhJ"  cried  Layelah,  "  they've  turned  back — they've 
found  us  I  "We  shall  have  to  leave  our  dear,  lovely  isl- 
and. Oh,  Atam-or,  I  shall  lose  you  now;  for  never, 
never,  never  again  will  you  have  one  thought  of  love 
for  your  poor  Layelah  !" 

With  these  words  she  clung  sobbing  to  mc.  For  my 
part  I  do  not  remember  what  I  said  to  soothe  her,  for 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  243 

the  sight  above  was  so  amazing  that  it  took  up  all  my 
attention.  The  aurora  shone  bright,  and  in  the  sky  I 
saw  two  vast  objects  wheeling  and  circling,  as  if  about 
to  descend.  I  recognized  them  at  once  as  athalebs;  but 
as  their  backs  were  hid  from  view  by  their  immense 
wings,  I  could  not  make  out  whether  they  were  wander- 
ers about  to  alight  of  their  own  accord,  or  guided  here 
by  riders — perhaps  by  the  Kosekin  from  whom  we  had 
been  parted. 

This  much  at  least  I  remember.  I  said  to  Layelah 
that  these  athalebs  were  wild  ones,  which  had  come  here 
because  they  saw  or  scented  our  wounded  one ;  but 
Layelah  shook  her  head  with  mournful  meaning. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  she,  "  Almah  has  come  back  for  you. 
This  firelight  has  guided  them.  If  you  had  not  made 
the  fire  they  never,  never,  never  could  have  found  us; 
but  now  all  is  lost." 

There  was  no  time  for  conversation  or  discussion. 
The  athalebs  drew  swiftly  nearer  and  nearer,  descending 
in  long  circuits,  until  at  length  they  touched  the  ground 
not  far  away  on  the  wide  sandy  beach.  Then  we  saAV 
people  on  their  backs,  and  among  them  was  Almah. 
"SYe  hurried  towards  them,  and  Almah  rushed  into  my 
arms,  to  the  great  disgust  of  Layelah,  for  she  was  close 
beside  me  and  saw  it  all.  She  gave  an  exclamation  of 
grief  and  despair,  and  hurried  away. 

From  Almah  I  learned  that  our  disappearance  had 
caused  alarm ;  that  two  of  the  athalebs  had  come  back 
in  search  of  us;  that  they  had  been  to  Magones,  and  had 
searched  over  the  seas,  and  were  just  about  giving  us 
up  as  lost  when  the  firelight  had  attracted  their  atten- 
tion and  drawn  them  here. 

I  said  nothing  at  that  time  about  the  cause  of  our  dis- 
appearance, but  merely  remarked  that  the  athaleb  had 
fallen  into  the  sea  and  swam  here.     This  was  suflicient. 


244  A  Strange  Manuscript 

They  bad  to  remain  here  for  some  time  longer  to  rest 
their  athalebs.  At  length  we  prepared  to  depart.  Our 
Avounded  athaleb  was  left  behind  to  take  care  of  him- 
self. I  was  taken  with  Almah,  and  Layelah  went  on 
the  other.  We  were  thus  separated;  and  so  we  set  forth 
upon  our  return,  and  at  length  arrived  at  the  amir. 


Fotind  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  246 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

geimm's   law   again. 

Dinner  was  now  announced,  and  Oxenden  laid  the 
manuscript  aside;  whereupon  they  adjourned  to  the 
cabin,  where  they  proceeded  to  discuss  both  the  repast 
and  the  manuscript. 

"Well,"  said  Featherstone,  "More's  story  seems  to 
be  approaching  a  crisis.  What  do  you  think  of  it  now, 
Melick  ?     Do  you  still  think  it  a  sensational  novel  ?" 

"Partly  so,"  said  Melick;  "but  it  would  be  nearer 
the  mark  to  call  it  a  satirical  romance." 

"  Why  not  a  scientific  romance  ?" 

"Because  there's  precious  little  science  in  it,  but  a 
good  deal  of  quiet  satire." 

"  Satire  on  what  ?"  asked  Featherstone.  "  I'll  be 
hanged  if  I  can  see  it." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Melick,  "  on  things  in  general.  The 
satire  is  directed  against  the  restlessness  of  humanity; 
its  impulses,  feelings,  hopes,  and  fears — all  that  men  do 
and  feel  and  suffer.  It  mocks  us  by  exhibiting  a  new 
race  of  men,  animated  by  passions  and  impulses  which 
are  directly  the  opposite  of  ours,  and  yet  no  nearer  hap- 
piness than  we  are.  It  shows  us  a  world  where  our  evil 
is  made  a  good,  and  our  good  an  evil;  there  all  that  we 
consider  a  blessing  is  had  in  abundance — prolonged  and 
perpetual  sunlight,  riches,  power,  fame — and  yet  these 
things  are  despised,  and  the  people,  turning  away  from 
them,  imagine  that  they  can  find  happiness  in  poverty, 
darkness,  death,  and  unrequited  love.     The  writer  thus 


246  A  Strange  Manuscript 

mocks  at  all  our  dearest  passions  and  strongest  desires; 
and  liis  general  aim  is  to  show  that  the  mere  search  for 
happiness  ^)cr  se  is  a  vulgar  thing,  and  must  always  re- 
sult in  utter  nothingness.  The  writer  also  teaches  the 
great  lesson  that  the  happiness  of  man  consists  not  in 
external  surroundings,  but  in  the  internal  feelings,  and 
that  heaven  itself  is  not  a  place,  but  a  state.  It  is  the 
old  lesson  which  Milton  extorted  from  Satan: 

" '  What  matter  where,  if  I  be  still  the  same — ' 
"Or  again: 

"  '  The  mind  is  its  own  place,  and  of  itself 

Can  make  a  heaven  of  hell,  a  hell  of  heaven — ' " 

"  That's  good  too,"  cried  Oxenden.  "  That  reminds 
me  of  the  German  commentators  who  find  in  the  *  Aga- 
memnon' of  iEschylus,  or  the  '  CEdipus'  of  Sophocles,  or 
the  'Hamlet'  of  Shakespeare  motives  and  purj^oses  of 
which  the  authors  could  never  have  dreamed,  and  give 
us  a  metaphysical,  beer-and-tobacco-IIigh-Dutch  Cly- 
temnestra,  or  Antigone,  or  Lady  Macbeth.  No,  my  boy, 
More  was  a  simple  sailor,  and  had  no  idea  of  satirizing 
anything." 

"  How,  then,  do  you  account  for  the  perpetual  under- 
current of  meaning  and  innuendo  that  may  be  found  in 
every  line  ?" 

"  I  deny  that  there  is  anything  of  the  sort,"  said  Ox- 
enden. "  It  is  a  plain  narrative  of  facts  ;  but  the  facts 
are  themselves  such  that  they  give  a  new  coloring  to 
the  facts  of  our  own  life.  They  are  in  such  profound 
antithesis  to  European  ways  that  we  consider  them  as 
being  written  merely  to  indicate  that  difference.  It  is 
like  the  'Germania'  of  Tacitus,  which  many  critics 
still  hold  to  be  a  satire  on  Roman  ways,  while,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  it  is  simply  a  narrative  of  German  manners 
and  customs." 


Found  in  a  Coi^inr  Cylinder.  247 

"  I  hope,"  cried  Meliclc,  "  that  you  do  not  mean  to 
compare  this  awful  rot  and  rubbish  to  the  'Germania' 
of  Tacitus  ?" 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Oxenden  ;  "  I  merely  asserted 
that  in  one  respect  they  were  analogous.  You  forced 
on  the  allusion  to  the  *  Germania '  by  calling  this  *  rot 
and  rubbish'  a  satirical  romance." 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  Mclick,  "  I  only  referred  to  the  in- 
tention of  the  writer.  His  plan  is  one  thing,  and  his 
execution  quite  another.  His  plan  is  not  bad,  but  he 
fails  utterly  in  his  execution.  The  style  is  detestable. 
If  he  had  written  in  the  style  of  a  plain  seaman,  and 
told  a  simple  unvarnished  tale,  it  would  have  been  all 
right.  In  order  to  carry  out  properly  such  a  plan  as  this 
the  writer  should  have  taken  Defoe  as  his  model,  or,  still 
better,  Dean  Swift.  *  Gulliver's  Travels '  and  '  Robin- 
son Crusoe '  show  what  can  be  done  in  this  way,  and 
form  a  standard  by  w^hich  all  other  attempts  must  be 
judged.  But  this  writer  is  tawdry  ;  he  has  the  worst 
vices  of  the  sensational  school — he  shows  everywhere 
marks  of  haste,  gross  carelessness,  and  universal  feeble- 
ness. When  he  gets  hold  of  a  good  fancy,  he  lacks  the 
patience  that  is  necessary  in  order  to  work  it  uj)  in  an 
effective  way.  He  is  a  gross  plagiarist,  and  over  and 
over  again  violates  in  the  most  glaring  manner  all  the 
ordinary  proprieties  of  style.  What  can  be  more  ab- 
surd, for  instance,  than  the  language  which  he  puts  into 
the  mouth  of  Layelah.  Not  content  with  making  her 
talk  like  a  sentimental  boarding-school,  bread-and-but- 
ter English  miss,  he  actually  forgets  himself  so  far  as 
to  put  in  her  mouth  a  threadbare  joke,  which  every  one 
has  heard  since  childhood." 

'-  What  is  that  ?" 

"  Oh,  that  silly  speech  about  the  athaleb  swallowing 
its  victuals  whole." 


248  A  Strange  Manuscnjyt 

"  What's  the  matter  witli  that  ?"  asked  Oxenden. 
"  It's  merely  a  chance  resemblance.  In  translating  her 
words  into  English  they  fell  by  accident  into  that  shape. 
No  one  but  you  would  find  fault  with  them.  Would 
it  have  been  better  if  he  had  translated  her  words  into 
the  scientific  phraseology  which  the  doctor  made  use  of 
with  regard  to  the  ichthyosaurus  ?  He  might  have  made 
it  this  way  :  '  Does  it  bite  ?'  '  No,  it  swallows  its  food 
without  mastication.'  Would  that  have  been  better? 
Besides,  it's  all  very  well  to  talk  of  imitating  Defoe 
and  Swift ;  but  suppose  he  couldn't  have  done  it  ?" 

"  Then  he  shouldn't  have  written  the  book." 

"  In  that  case  how  could  his  father  have  heard  about 
his  adventures  ?" 

"  His  father  !"  exclaimed  Melick.  "  Do  you  mean 
to  say  that  you  still  accept  all  this  as  bona  fide  .^" 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,"  retorted  Oxenden,  "  that  you 
still  have  any  doubt  about  the  authenticity  of  this  re- 
markable manuscript  ?" 

At  this  each  looked  at  the  other  ;  Melick  elevated 
his  eyebrows,  and  Oxenden  shrugged  his  shoulders  ; 
but  each  seemed  unable  to  find  words  to  express  his 
amazement  at  the  other's  stupidity,  and  so  they  took 
refuge  in  silence. 

"  What  do  you  understand  by  this  athaleb,  doctor?" 
asked  Featherstone. 

"  The  athaleb  ?"  said  the  doctor.  "  Why,  it  is  clearly 
the  pterodactyl." 

"  By-the-bye,"  interrupted  Oxenden,  "  do  please  take 
notice  of  that  name.  It  affords  another  exemplification 
of  '  Grimm's  Law.'  The  Hebrew  word  is  '  atalcph,'  and 
means  bat.  The  Kosekin  word  is 'athaleb.'  Here  you 
see  the  thin  letter  of  Hebrew  represented  by  the  aspi- 
rated letter  of  the  Kosekin  language,  while  the  aspirated 
Hebrew  is  represented  by  the  Kosekin  medial." 


Found  m  a  Copper  Cylinder.  249 

"  Too  true,"  exclaimed  Melick,  in  a  tone  of  deep  con- 
viction ;  "  and  now,  Oxenden,  won't  you  sing  us  a  song  ?" 

"  Nonsense,"  said  Featherstone  ;  "  let  the  doctor  tell 
us  about  tlie  atlialeb," 

"  Well,"  resumed  the  doctor,  "  as  I  was  saying,  it 
must  be  undoubtedly  the  pterodactyl.  It  is  a  most  ex- 
traordinary animal,  and  is  a  species  of  flying  lizard, 
although  differing  from  the  lizard  in  many  respects. 
It  had  the  head  and  neck  of  a  bird,  the  trunk  and  tail 
of  an  ordinary  mammal,  the  jaws  and  teeth  of  a  reptile, 
and  the  wings  of  a  bat.  Owen  describes  one  whose 
sweep  of  wings  exceeded  twenty  feet,  and  many  have 
been  found  of  every  gradation  of  size  down  to  that 
of  a  bat.  There  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be 
as  large  as  More  says  ;  and  I,  for  ray  part,  do  not  sus- 
pect him  of  exaggeration.  Some  have  supposed  that  a 
late,  lingering  individual  may  have  suggested  the  idea 
of  the  fabulous  dragon — an  idea  which  seems  to  be  in 
the  minds  of  nearly  all  the  human  race,  for  in  the  early 
records  of  many  nations  we  find  the  destruction  of  drag- 
ons assigned  to  their  gods  and  heroes.  The  figure  of 
the  pterodactyl  represents  pretty  closely  that  which  is 
given  to  the  dragons.  It  is  not  impossible  that  they 
may  have  existed  into  the  period  which  we  call  prehis- 
toric, and  that  monsters  far  larger  than  any  which  we 
have  yet  discovered  may  have  lingered  until  the  time 
when  man  began  to  increase  u])on  the  earth,  to  spread 
over  its  surface,  and  to  carve  upon  Avood  and  stone  rep- 
resentations of  the  most  striking  objects  around  him. 
When  the  living  pterodactyls  had  disappeared  the  mem- 
ory of  them  was  preserved  ;  some  new  features  were 
added,  and  the  imagination  went  so  far  as  to  endow 
them  with  the  power  of  belching  forth  smoke  and  flames. 
Thus  the  dragon  idea  pervaded  the  minds  of  men,  and 
instead  of  a  natural  animal  it  became  a  fabulous  one. 
11* 


250  A  Strange  Manuscript 

"  The  fingers  of  tlie  fore-legs  wore  of  the  ordinary 
dimensions,  and  terminated  with  crooked  nails,  and 
these  were  probably  used  to  suspend  themselves  from 
trees.  AVhen  in  repose  it  rested  on  its  hind-legs  like  a 
bird,  and  held  its  neck  curving  behind,  so  that  its  enor- 
mous head  should  not  disturb  its  equilibrium.  The  size 
and  form  of  the  feet,  of  the  leg,  and  of  the  thigh  prove 
that  they  could  hold  themselves  erect  with  firmness, 
their  wings  folded,  and  move  about  in  this  way  like 
birds,  just  as  More  describes  them  as  doing.  Like  birds 
they  could  also  perch  on  trees,  and  could  crawl  like  bats 
and  lizards  along  the  rocks  and  cliffs. 

"  Some  think  that  they  were  covered  with  scales  ;  but 
I  am  of  the  opinion  that  they  had  a  horny  hide,  with  a 
ridge  of  hair  running  down  their  backs — in  which  opin- 
ion I  am  sustained  by  More's  account.  The  smaller 
kinds  were  undoubtedly  insectivorous ;  but  the  larger 
ones  must  have  been  carnivorous,  and  probably  fed 
largely  on  fish." 

"  "Well,  at  any  rate,"  said  Melick,  gravely,  "  this 
athaleb  solves  the  difficult  question  as  to  how  the  Trog- 
lodytes emigrated  to  the  South  Pole." 

"  How  ?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Why,  they  must  have  gone  there  on  athalebs ! 
Your  friends,  the  pterodactyls,  probably  lingered  long- 
est among  the  Troglodytes,  who,  seeing  that  they  were 
rapidly  dying  out,  concluded  to  depart  to  another  and 
a  better  world.  One  beauty  of  this  theory  is  that  it 
cannot  possibly  be  disproved  ;  another  is  that  it  satisfies 
all  the  requirements  of  the  case  ;  a  third  is,  that  it  ac- 
counts for  the  disappearance  of  the  pterodactyls  in  our 
world,  and  their  appearance  at  the  South  Pole  ;  and 
there  are  forty  or  fifty  other  facts,  all  included  in  this 
theory,  which  I  have  not  time  just  now  to  enumerate, 
but  will  try  to  do  so  after  we  have  finished  reading  the 


Found  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  251 

manuscript.  I  will  only  add,  that  the  athaleb  must  be 
regarded  as  another  link  which  binds  the  Kosekin  to 
the  Semitic  race." 

"Another  link?"  said  Oxenden.  "That  I  already 
have;  and  it  is  one  that  carries  conviction  with  it." 

"  All  your  arguments  invariably  do,  my  dear  fellow." 

"  What  is  it  ?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"  The  Kosekin  alphabet,"  said  Oxenden. 

"I  can't  see  how  you  can  make  anything  out  of  that," 
said  the  doctor. 

"Very  well,  I  can  easily  explain,"  replied  Oxenden. 
"  In  the  first  place  we  must  take  the  old  Hebrew  alpha- 
bet.    I  Avill  write  down  the  letters  in  their  order  first." 

Saying  this,  he  hastily  jotted  down  some  letters  on  a 
piece  of  paper,  and  showed  to  the  doctor  the  following : 


Labials. 

Palatals. 

Linguals. 

A 

B 

C  (or  G) 

D 

£ 

F 

Ch  (or  n) 

Dh  (or  Th) 

I 

Liquids,  L 

M 

N 

0 

P 

K 

T 

"That,"  said  he,  "is  substantially  the  order  of  the 
old  Hebrew  alphabet." 

"  But,"  said  the  doctor,  "  the  Kosekin  alphabet  differs 
in  its  order  altogether  from  that." 

"That  very  difference  can  be  shown  to  be  all  the 
stronger  proof  of  a  connection  between  them,"  said 
Oxenden. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  how." 

"  The  fact  is,"  said  Oxenden,  "  these  letters  are  repre- 
sented differently  in  the  two  languages,  in  exact  accord- 
ance with  Grimm's  Lay>'." 

"  By  Jove  !"  cried  Featherstone,  "  Grimm's  Law 
again." 

"  According  to  that  law,"  continued  Oxenden,  "  the 
letters  of  the  alphabet  ought  to  change  their  order. 


252  A  Strange  Manuscript 

Now  let  us  leave  out  tlie  vowels  and  Unguals,  and  deal 
only  with  the  mutes.  First,  we  have  in  the  Hebrew 
alphabet  the  medials  B,  G,  and  D.  Very  well ;  in  the 
Kosekin  we  have  standing  first  the  thin  letters,  or  ten- 
ues,  according  to  Grimm's  Law,  namely,  P,  K,  T.  Next, 
we  have  in  the  Hebrew  the  aspirates  F,  Ch,  Dh.  In 
the  Kosekin  alphabet  we  have  corresponding  to  them 
the  medials  B,  G,  D.  Next,  we  have  in  the  Hebrew 
the  tenues,  or  thin  letters  P,  K,  T.  In  the  Kosekin  we 
have  the  corresponding  aspirates  F,  Ch,  Th.  The  vow- 
els, liquids,  and  sibilants  need  not  be  regarded  just  here  ; 
for  the  proof  from  the  mutes  is  sufficient  to  satisfy  any 
reasonable  man." 

"  Well,"  said  Melick,  "  I  for  one  am  thoroughly  satis- 
fied, and  don't  need  another  single  word.  The  fact  is, 
I  never  knew  before  the  all-sufficient  nature  of  Grimm's 
Law.  Why,  it  can  unlock  any  mystery  !  When  I  get 
home  I  must  buy  one — a  tame  one,  if  possible,  and  keep 
him  with  me  always.  It  is  more  useful  to  a  literary 
man  than  to  any  other.  It  is  said  that  with  a  knowl- 
edge of  Grimm's  Law  a  man  may  wander  through  the 
world  from  Iceland  to  Ceylon,  and  converse  pleasantly 
in  all  the  Indo-European  languages.  More  must  have 
had  Grimm's  Law  stowed  away  somewhere  about  him; 
and  that's  the  reason  why  he  escaped  the  icebergs,  the 
volcanoes,  the  cannibals,  the  subterranean  channel  mon- 
ster, and  arrived  at  last  safe  and  sound  in  the  land  of 
the  Kosekin.  What  I  want  is  Grimm's  Law — a  nice 
tidy  one,  well-trained,  in  good  working  order,  and  kind 
in  harness;  and  the  moment  I  get  one  I  intend  to  go  to 
the  land  of  the  Kosekin  myself." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  253 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

OXENDEN   PREACHES    A   SEKM0J7. 

"  Magoxes,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  clearly  a  volcanic 
island,  and,  taken  in  connection  with  the  other  volcanoes 
around,  shows  how  active  must  be  the  subterranean  fires 
at  the  South  Pole.  It  seems  probable  to  me  that  the 
numerous  caves  of  the  Kosekin  were  originally  fissures 
in  the  mountains,  formed  by  convulsions  of  nature;  and 
also  that  the  places  excavated  by  man  must  consist  of 
soft  volcanic  rock,  such  as  pumice-stone,  or  rather  tufa, 
easily  worked,  and  remaining  permanently  in  any  shape 
into  which  it  may  be  fashioned.  As  to  Magones,  it 
seems  another  Iceland;  for  there  are  the  same  wild  and 
hideous  desolation,  the  same  impassable  wilderness,  and 
the  same  universal  scenes  of  ruin,  lighted  up  by  the 
baleful  and  tremendous  volcanic  fires." 

"  But  Avhat  of  that  little  island  on  whicli  they  landed  ?" 
asked  Featherstone.      "This,  surely,  was  not  volcanic." 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor, "  that  must  have  been  a  coral 
island." 

"  By-thc-bye,  is  it  really  true,"  asked  Featherstone, 
"that  these  coral  islands  are  the  work  of  little  in- 
sects ?" 

"  Well,  they  may  be  called  insects,"  replied  the  doc- 
tor; *'  they  are  living  zoophytes  of  most  minute  dimen- 
sions, who,  however,  compensate  for  their  smallness  of 
size  by  their  inconceivable  numbers.  Small  as  these  are, 
they  have  accomplished  infinitely  more  than  all  that 
ever  was  done  by  the  ichthyosaurus,  the  plesiosaurus,  the 


254  A  Strange  Manuscript 

pterodactyl,  and  the  -whole  tribe  of  monsters  that  once 
filled  the  earth.  Immense  districts  and  whole  moun- 
tains have  been  built  by  these  minute  creatures.  They 
have  been  at  work  for  ages,  and  arc  still  at  work.  It  is 
princij^ally  in  the  South  seas  that  their  labors  are  carried 
on.  Near  the  Maldive  Islands  they  have  formed  a  mass 
whose  volume  is  equal  to  the  Alps.  Around  New  Cale- 
donia they  have  built  a  barrier  of  reefs  four  hundred 
miles  in  length,  and  another  along  the  northwest  coast 
of  Australia  a  thousand  miles  in  length.  In  the  Pacific 
Ocean  islands,  reefs,  and  islets  innumerable  have  been 
constructed  by  them,  which  extend  for  an  immense  dis- 
tance. 

"The  coral  islands  are  called  'atolls.'  They  are 
nearly  always  circular,  with  a  depression  in  the  centre. 
They  are  originally  made  ring-shaped,  but  the  action  of 
the  ocean  serves  to  throw  fragments  of  rock  into  the 
inner  depression,  which  thus  fills  up;  firm  land  appears; 
the  rock  crumbles  into  soil;  the  winds  and  birds  and 
currents  bring  seeds  here,  and  soon  the  new  island  is 
covered  wuth  verdure.  Those  little  creatures  have 
played  a  part  in  the  past  quite  as  important  as  in  the 
present.  All  Germany  rests  upon  a  bank  of  coral;  and 
they  seem  to  have  been  most  active  during  the  Colitic 
Period." 

"  IIow  do  the  creatures  act  ?"  asked  Feathcrstonc. 

"  Nobody  knows,"  replied  the  doctor. 

A  silence  now  followed,  which  was  at  last  broken  by 
Oxenden. 

"  After  all,"  said  he,  "  these  monsters  and  marvels  of 
nature  form  the  least  interesting  feature  in  the  land  of 
the  Kosekin.  To  me  the  people  themselves  are  the  chief 
object  of  interest.  Where  did  they  get  that  strange, 
all-pervading  love  of  death,  which  is  as  strong  in  them 
as  love  of  life  is  in  us  ?" 


Found  in  a  Copier  Cylinder.  255 

"  Why,  tbcy  got  it  from  the  imagination  of  the  writer 
of  the  manuscript,"  interrupted  Melick. 

"Yes,  it's  easy  to  answer  it  from  your  point  of 
view;  yet  from  my  point  of  view  it  is  more  difficult. 
I  sometimes  think  that  it  may  be  the  strong  spirituality 
of  the  Semitic  race,  carried  out  under  exceptionally  fa- 
vorable circumstances  to  the  ultimate  results;  for  the 
Semitic  race  more  than  all  others  thought  little  of  this 
life,  and  turned  their  affections  to  the  life  that  lives  be- 
yond this.  The  Kosekin  may  thus  have  had  a  spiritual 
development  of  their  own,  which  ended  in  this. 

"  Yet  there  may  be  another  reason  for  it,  and  I  some- 
times think  that  the  Kosekin  may  be  nearer  to  the  truth 
than  we  are.  We  have  by  nature  a  strong  love  of  life 
— it  is  our  dominant  feeling — but  yet  there  is  in  the 
minds  of  all  men  a  deep  underlying  conviction  of  the 
vanity  of  life,  and  its  worthlessness.  In  all  ages  and 
among  all  races  the  best,  the  purest,  and  the  Avisest  have 
taught  this  truth,  that  human  life  is  not  a  blessing  ;  that 
the  evil  predominates  over  the  good;  and  that  our  best 
hope  is  to  gain  a  spirit  of  acquiescence  with  its  inevita- 
ble ills.  All  philosophy  and  all  religions  teach  us  this 
one  solemn  truth,  that  in  this  life  the  evil  surpasses  the 
good.  It  has  always  been  so.  Suffering  has  been  the 
lot  of  all  living  things,  from  the  giant  of  the  primeval 
swamps  down  to  the  smallest  zoojihyte.  It  is  far  more 
so  with  man.  Some  favored  classes  in  every  age  may 
furnish  forth  a  few  individuals  who  may  j^erhaps  lead 
lives  of  self-indulgence  and  luxury;  but  to  the  mass  of 
mankind  life  has  ever  been,  and  must  ever  be,  a  pro- 
longed scene  of  labor  intermingled  with  suffering.  The 
great  Indian  religions,  whether  Brahmanic  or  Buddhis- 
tic, teach  as  their  cardinal  doctrine  that  life  is  an  evil. 
Buddhism  is  more  pronounced  in  this,  for  it  teaches 
more  emphatically  than  even  the  Kosekin  that  the  chief 


256  A  Strange  Manuscript 

end  of  man  is  to  get  rid  of  the  curse  of  life  and  gain  the 
bliss  of  Nirvana,  or  annihilation.  True,  it  does  not  take 
so  practical  a  form  as  among  the  Kosekin,  yet  it  is  be- 
lieved by  one  third  of  the  human  race  as  the  foundation 
of  the  religion  in  Avhich  they  live  and  die.  We  need 
not  go  to  the  Kosekin,  however,  for  such  maxims  as 
these.  The  intelligent  Hindoos,  the  Chinese,  the  Japa- 
nese, with  many  other  nations,  all  cling  firmly  to  this 
belief.  Sakyamoum  Gautama  Buddha,  the  son  and  heir 
of  a  mighty  monai'ch,  penetrated  with  the  conviction  of 
the  misery  of  life,  left  his  throne,  embraced  a  life  of 
voluntary  poverty,  want,  and  misery,  so  that  he  might 
find  his  way  to  a  better  state — the  end  before  him  being 
this,  that  he  might  ultimately  escape  from  the  curse  of 
existence.  He  lived  till  old  age,  gained  innumerable  fol- 
lowers, and  left  to  them  as  a  solemn  legacy  the  maxim 
that  not  to  exist  is  better  than  to  exist;  that  death  is 
better  than  life.  Since  his  day  millions  of  his  followers 
have  upheld  his  principles  and  lived  his  life.  Even 
among  the  joyous  Greeks  we  find  this  feeling  at  times 
bursting  forth;  it  comes  when  we  least  expect  it,  and 
not  even  a  Kosekin  poet  could  express  this  view  more 
forcibly  than  Sophocles  in  the  '  CEdipus '  at  Colonus: 

"  'Xot  to  be  born  surpasses  every  lot ; 
And  the  next  best  lot  by  far,  when  one  is  born, 
Is  to  go  back  whence  he  came  as  soon  as  possible ; 
For  while  youth  is  present  bringing  vain  follies, 
What  woes  does  it  not  have,  what  ills  does  it  not  bear — 
Murders,  factions,  strife,  war,  envy, 

But  the  extreme  of  misery  is  attained  by  loathsome  old  age — 
Old  age,  strengthless,  unsociable,  friendless. 
Where  all  evils  upon  evils  dwell  together.'  " 

"  I'll  give  you  the  words  of  a  later  poet,"  said  Melick, 
who  takes  a  different  view  of  the  case.  I  think  I'll  sing 
them  with  your  permission. 


Found  in  a  Cojyjm'  Cylinder.  257 

Mclick  swallowed  a  glass  of  wine  and  then  sang  the 
following: 

"  '  They  may  rail  at  this  life  :  from  the  hour  I  began  it 

I  found  it  a  life  full  of  kindness  and  bliss, 
And  until  they  can  show  me  some  happier  planet, 

More  social  and  bright,  I'll  content  me  with  this. 
As  long  as  the  world  has  such  lips  and  such  eyes 

As  before  me  this  moment  enraptured  I  see, 
They  may  say  what  they  will  of  their  orbs  in  the  skies, 

But  this  earth  is  the  planet  for  you,  love,  and  me.' 

"  "What  a  pity  it  is,"  continued  Melick,  "  that  the 
writer  of  this  manuscript  had  not  the  philological,  theo- 
logical, sociological,  geological,  palteological,  ornitho- 
logical, and  all  the  other  logical  attainments  of  yourself 
and  the  doctor  !  He  could  then  have  given  us  a  com- 
plete view  of  the  nature  of  the  Kosekin,  morally  and 
physically;  he  could  have  treated  of  the  geology  of  the 
soil,  the  ethnology  of  the  people,  and  could  have  un- 
folded before  us  a  full  and  comprehensive  view  of  their 
philosophy  and  religion,  and  could  have  crammed  his 
manuscript  with  statistics,  I  wonder  why  he  didn't  do 
it  even  as  it  was.  It  must  have  been  a  strong  tempta- 
tion." 

"More,"  said  Oxenden,  with  deep  impressiveness, 
"  was  a  simple-minded  though  somewhat  emotional 
sailor,  and  merely  wrote  in  the  hope  that  his  story 
might  one  day  meet  the  eyes  of  his  father.  I  certainly 
should  like  to  find  some  more  accurate  statements  about 
the  science,  philosophy,  and  religion  of  the  Kosekin; 
yet,  after  all,  such  things  could  not  be  expected." 

"Why  not?"  said  Melick;  "it  was  easy  enough  for 
him." 

"How?"  asked  Oxenden. 

"  Wh}',  he  had  only  to  step  into  the  British  Museum, 
and  in  a  couple  of  hours  he  could  have  crammed  up  on 


258  A  Strange  Manuscri2)t 

all  those  points  in  science,  philosophy,  ethnology,  and 
theology,  about  which  you  are  so  anxious  to  know." 

"  Well,"  said  Featherstonc,  "  suppose  we  continue  our 
reading  ?  I  believe  it  is  my  turn  now.  I  sha'n't  be 
able  to  hold  out  so  long  as  you  did,  Oxenden,  but  I'll  do 
what  I  can." 

Saying  this,  Featherstone  took  the  manuscript  and 
went  on  to  read. 


Found  in  a  Coi^j^cr  Cylinder.  259 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

IN   TKISON. 

It  was  with  hearts  full  of  the  gloomiest  forebodings 
that  Ave  returned  to  the  amir,  and  these  we  soon  found 
to  be  fully  justified.  The  athalebs  descended  at  that 
point  from  which  they  had  risen — namely,  on  the  ter- 
race immediately  in  front  of  the  cavern  where  they  had 
been  confined.  We  then  dismounted,  and  Layelah  with 
the  Kosekin  guards  accompanied  us  to  our  former  cham- 
bers. There  she  left  us,  saying  that  a  communication 
would  be  sent  to  us. 

We  were  now  left  to  our  own  conjectures. 

"  I  wonder  Avhat  they  will  do  to  us  ?"  said  I. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  tell,"  said  Almah. 

"I  suppose,"  said  I,  "they  will  punish  us  in  some 
way;  but  then  punishment  among  the  Kosekin  is  what 
seems  honor  and  reward  to  mo.  Perhaps  they  will 
spare  our  lives,  for  that  in  their  eyes  ought  to  be  the 
severest  punishment  and  the  deepest  disgrace  imagina- 
ble." 

Almah  sighed. 

"  The  Kosekin  do  not  always  act  in  this  matter  as  one 
would  suppose,"  said  she.  "  It  is  quite  likely  that  they 
may  dread  our  escaping,  and  may  conclude  to  sacrifice 
us  at  once." 

On  the  next  Jo;?i  I  had  a  visit  from  the  Kohcn  Gadol. 
He  informed  me  that  the  paupers  had  held  a  Council  of 
State,  in  which  they  had  made  a  special  examination  of 
our  late  flight.     He  and  Layelah  had  both  been  exam- 


260  A  Strange  Manuscript 

ined,  as  well  as  tlie  Kosckin  mIio  had  gone  after  us; 
but  Layelah's  testimony  was  by  far  the  most  impor- 
tant. 

The  Council  of  State  gathered  from  Layelah's  report 
that  we  had  fled  to  Magones  for  the  especial  purpose  of 
gaining  the  most  blessed  of  deaths  ;  that  she  pursued  us 
in  the  interest  of  the  state  ;  and  that  we  on  her  arrival 
had  generously  surrendered  our  own  selfish  desires,  and 
had  at  once  returned. 

We  learned  that  much  gratification  was  felt  by  the 
council,  and  also  expressed,  at  Layelah's  account  and  at 
our  action. 

First,  at  our  eager  love  of  death,  which  was  so  natural 
in  their  eyes  ;  secondly,  at  the  skill  which  we  had  shown 
in  selecting  Magones  ;  and,  finally,  at  our  generosity  in 
giving  up  so  readily  the  blessed  prospect  of  exile  and 
want  and  death  so  as  to  come  back  to  the  amir.  Had 
we  been  Kosekin  our  acts  would  have  been  natural 
enough ;  but,  being  foreigners,  it  was  considered  more 
admirable  in  us,  and  it  seemed  to  show  that  we  were 
equal  to  the  Kosekin  themselves.  It  was  felt,  however, 
that  in  our  eager  rush  after  death  we  had  been  somewhat 
selfish  ;  but  as  this  probably  arose  from  our  ignorance 
of  the  law,  it  might  be  overlooked.  On  the  whole,  it  was 
decided  that  we  ought  to  be  rewarded,  and  that  too  with 
the  greatest  benefits  that  the  Kosekin  could  bestow. 
What  these  benefits  were  the  Kohen  Gadol  could  not 
say  ;  and  thus  we  were  left,  as  before,  in  the  great- 
est possible  anxiety.  We  still  dreaded  the  worst.  The 
highest  honors  of  these  men  might  well  awaken  appre- 
hension ;  for  they  thought  that  the  chief  blessings  were 
poverty  and  darkness  and  death. 

Layelah  next  came  to  see  me.  She  was  as  amiable  as 
ever,  and  showed  no  resentment  at  all.  She  gave  me  an 
account  of  what  had  happened  at  the  Council  of  State, 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  261 

which  was  the  same  as  what  I  had  heard  from  the  Kohen 
Gadol. 

I  asked  her  why  she  had  made  such  a  report  of 
us. 

"  To  conciliate  their  good-will,"  said  Layelah.  "  For 
if  they  thought  that  you  had  really  fled  from  death  from 
a  love  of  life,  they  would  have  felt  such  contempt  for 
you  that  serious  harm  might  have  happened." 

"Yes,"  said  I;  "but  among  the  Kosekin  what  you 
call  harm  would  probably  have  been  just  what  I  want. 
I  should  like  to  be  viewed  with  contempt,  and  consid- 
ered unworthy  of  death  and  the  Mlsta  Kosek,  and  other 
such  honors." 

"Oh,  yes,"  said  Layelah,  "but  that  doesn't  follow; 
for  you  see  the  paupers  love  death  so  intensely  that  they 
long  to  bestow  it  on  all;  and  if  they  knew  you  were 
afraid  of  it  they  would  be  tempted  to  bestow  it  upon 
you  immediately,  just  to  show  you  how  delightful  a 
thing  it  is.  And  that  was  the  very  thing  that  I  was  try- 
ing to  guard  against." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  and  what  is  the  result  ?  Do  you 
know  what  their  decision  is  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Layelah. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  I  asked,  eagerly. 

Layelah  hesitated. 

"  What  is  it  ?"  I  cried  again,  full  of  impatience. 

"I'm  afraid  it  will  not  sound  very  pleasant  to  you," 
said  Layelah,  "  but  at  any  rate  your  life  is  spared  for 
the  present.  They  have  decided  to  give  you  what  they 
call  the  greatest  possible  honors  and  distinctions." 

Layelah  paused,  and  looked  at  me  earnestly.  For  my 
part  these  words  sounded  ominous,  and  were  full  of  the 
darkest  meaning. 

"  Tell  me  all,"  I  said  ;  "  don't  keep  me  in  suspense." 

"  Well,"  said  Layelah,  "  I'm  afraid  you  will  think  it 


2G2  A  Strange  Manuscript 

hard ;  but  I  must  tell  you.     I  will  tell  it,  therefore,  as 
briefly  and  formally  as  possible. 

"  First,  then,  they  have  decreed  the  blessing  of  sepa- 
ration. You  and  Almah  must  now  be  parted,  since  this 
is  regarded  as  the  highest  bliss  of  lovers. 

"  Secondly,  they  have  decreed  the  blessing  of  pov- 
erty. All  these  luxuries  will  be  taken  away,  and  you 
will  be  raised  to  an  equality  in  this  respect  with  the 
great  paupers. 

"Thirdly,  you  are  to  have  the  blessing  of  darkness. 
You  are  to  be  removed  from  this  troublesome  and  vexa- 
tious light,  which  here  is  regarded  as  a  curse,  and  hence- 
forth live  without  it. 

"  Fourthly,  the  next  decree  is  the  high  reward  of  im- 
prisonment. You  are  to  be  delivered  from  the  evils  of 
liberty,  and  shut  up  in  a  dark  cavern,  from  which  it  will 
be  impossible  to  escape  or  to  communicate  Avitli  any  one 
outside. 

"  Fif  thl}^,  you  are  to  associate  with  the  greatest  of  the 
paujiers,  the  class  that  is  the  most  honored  and  influen- 
tial. You  will  be  present  at  all  their  highest  councils, 
and  will  have  the  privilege  of  perpetual  intercourse  with 
those  reverend  men.  They  will  tell  you  of  the  joys 
of  poverty,  the  happiness  of  darkness,  and  the  bliss  of 
death." 

Layclah  paused,  and  looked  at  me  earnestly. 

"  Is  there  anything  more?"  I  gasped. 

"  No,"  said  she.  "  Is  not  that  enough  ?  Some  were 
in  favor  of  bestowing  immediate  death,  but  they  were 
outvoted  by  the  others.     You  surely  cannot  regret  that." 

Layelah's  words  sounded  like  the  words  of  a  mocking 
demon.  Yet  she  did  not  wish  to  distress  me ;  she  had 
merely  stated  my  sentence  in  formal  language,  without 
any  attempt  to  soften  its  tremendous  import.  As  for 
me,  I  was  overwhelmed  with  despair.     There  was  but 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  2G3 

one  thought  in  my  mind — it  was  not  of  myself,  but  of 
Almah. 

"  And  Almah  ?"  I  cried. 

"  Almab,"  said  Layelah,  "  she  will  have  the  same  ;  you 
are  both  included  in  the  same  sentence." 

At  this  a  groan  burst  from  me.  Horror  overwhelmed 
me.  I  threw  myself  down  upon  the  floor  and  covered 
my  face  with  my  hands.  All  was  lost !  Our  fate — 
Almah's  fate  was  darkness,  imprisonment,  and  death. 
Could  anything  be  imagined  that  might  mitigate  such 
woes  as  these  ?  Could  anything  be  conceived  of  as  more 
horrible?  Yes,  there  remained  something  more,  and 
this  was  announced  by  Layelah. 

"  Finally,"  said  she,  "  it  has  been  decreed  tliat  you 
shall  not  only  have  the  blessing  of  death,  but  that  you 
shall  have  the  rare  honor  of  belonging  to  the  chosen 
few  who  are  reserved  for  the  JTlsta  KoseJc.  Thus  far 
this  had  not  been  granted.  It  M'as  esteemed  too  high 
an  honor  for  strangers ;  but  now,  by  an  exercise  of  un- 
paralleled liberality,  the  Grand  Council  of  Paupers  have 
added  this,  as  the  last  and  best,  to  the  high  honors  and 
rewards  which  they  have  decreed  for  you  and  Almah." 

To  this  I  had  nothing  to  say;  I  was  stupefied  with 
horror.  To  such  words  what  answer  could  be  made? 
At  that  moment  I  could  think  of  nothing  but  this  tre- 
mendous sentence — this  infliction  of  appalling  woes  un- 
der the  miserable  name  of  blessings  !  I  could  not  tliink 
of  Layelah;  nor  did  I  try  to  conjecture  what  her  mo- 
tives might  bo  in  thus  coming  to  me  as  the  messenger 
of  evil.  I  could  not  find  space  amid  my  despair  for 
speculations  as  to  her  own  part  in  this,  or  stop  to  con- 
sider whether  she  was  acting  the  part  of  a  mere  messen- 
ger, or  was  influenced  by  resentment  or  revenge.  All 
this  was  far  away  from  my  thoughts;  for  all  my  mind 
was  filled  with  the  dread  sentence  of  the  Council  of  Pau- 


264  A  Strange  Manuscript 

pers  and  the  baleful  prospect  of  the  woes  that  await- 
ed us. 

On  the  uGxtjom  I  saw  Ahiiah.  She  had  ah-eady  learned 
the  awful  tidings.  She  met  me  with  a  face  of  despair; 
for  there  was  no  longer  any  hope,  and  all  that  remained 
for  us  was  a  last  farewell.  After  this  we  parted,  and 
each  of  us  was  taken  to  our  respective  prisons. 

I  M'as  taken  along  dark  passages  until  I  came  to  a  cav- 
ern with  a  low,  dark  portal.  Upon  entering  I  found  the 
darkness  deeper  than  usual,  and  there  was  only  one  soli- 
tary lamp  which  diffused  but  a  feeble  ray  through  the 
gloom.  The  size  of  the  place  could  not  be  made  out. 
I  saw  here  a  group  of  human  beings,  and  by  the  feeble 
ray  of  the  lamp  I  perceived  that  they  were  wan  and 
thin  and  emaciated,  with  scant  clothing,  all  in  rags, 
squaloi',  misery,  and  dirt;  with  coarse  hair  matted  to- 
gether, and  long  nails  and  shaggy  beards.  They  remind- 
ed me  in  their  personal  appearance  of  the  cannibals  of 
the  outer  shore.  These  hideous  beings  all  gathered 
around  me,  blinking  at  me  with  their  bleary  eyes  and 
grinning  with  their  abominable  faces,  and  then  each 
one  embraced  me.  The  filth,  squalor,  and  unutterable 
foulness  of  these  wretches  all  combined  to  fill  my  soul 
with  loathing,  and  the  inconceivable  horror  of  that  em- 
brace wellnigh  overwhelmed  me.  Yet,  after  all,  it  was 
surpassed  by  the  horror  of  the  thought  that  Almah 
might  be  at  that  very  moment  undergoing  the  same 
experience ;  and  for  her  such  a  thing  must  be  worse 
than  for  me. 

I  retreated  as  far  as  possible  from  them,  deep  into  the 
thick  darkness,  and  sat  down.  No  convicted  felon  at 
the  last  hour  of  life,  no  prisoner  in  the  dungeons  of  the 
Inquisition,  ever  could  have  suffered  more  mental  agony 
than  I  did  at  that  moment.  The  blessings,  the  awful 
blessings  of  the  Kosekin  were  descending  upon  my  mis- 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  265 

erablo  head — separation  ft-om  Almab,  squalor  and  dirt, 
imprisonment,  the  society  of  tliese  filthy  creatures,  dark- 
ness, the  shadow  of  death,  and  beyond  all  the  tremen- 
dous horrors  of  the  3Iista  Kosek! 

I  do  not  know  how  the  time  passed,  for  at  first  I  was 
almost  stupefied  with  despair;  nor  could  I  ever  gi-ow 
reconciled  to  the  society  of  these  wretches,  scarce  hu- 
man, who  were  with  me.  Some  food  was  offered  me — 
filthy  stuff,  which  I  refused.  My  refusal  excited  warm 
commendation  ;  but  I  was  warned  against  starving  my- 
self, as  that  was  against  the  law.  In  my  despair  I 
thought  of  my  pistol  and  rifle,  Avhich  I  still  kept  with 
me  —  of  using  these  against  my  jailors,  and  bursting 
forth;  but  this  wild  impulse  soon  passed  away,  for  its 
utter  hopelessness  was  manifest.  My  only  hope,  if  hope 
it  was,  lay  in  waiting,  and  it  was  not  impossible  that  I 
might  see  Almah  again,  if  only  once. 

Joms  passed  away,  I  know  not  how.  The  Chief  Pau- 
per, who  is  the  greatest  man  in  the  land  of  the  Kosekin, 
made  several  attempts  to  converse  with  me,  and  was 
evidently  very  condescending  and  magnanimous  in  his 
own  eyes;  but  I  did  not  meet  his  advances  graciously — 
he  was  too  abhorrent.  He  was  a  hideous  wretch,  with 
eyes  nearly  closed  and  bleary,  thick,  matted  hair,  and 
fiendish  expression — in  short,  a  devil  incarnate  in  rags 
and  squalor. 

But  as  \h.QJoriis  passed  I  found  it  difficult  to  repel  my 
associates.  They  were  always  inflicting  their  society 
upon  me,  and  thrusting  on  me  nasty  little  acts  of  kind- 
ness. The  Chief  Pauper  was  more  persistent  than  all, 
with  his  chatter  and  disgusting  civilities.  He  was  evi- 
dently glad  to  get  hold  of  a  fresh  subject  for  his  talk- 
ative genius;  he  was  a  very  garrulous  cannibal,  and 
perhaps  my  being  a  foreigner  made  mc  more  interesting 
in  his  eyes. 
12 


266  A  Strange  Manuscript 

The  chief  topic  of  his  discourse  was  death.  He  hated 
life,  loved  death,  longed  for  it  in  all  its  forms,  whether 
arising  from  disease  or  from  violence.  He  was  an  ama- 
teur in  corpses,  and  had  a  larger  experience  in  dead 
bodies  than  any  other  man  in  the  nation. 

I  could  not  help  asking  him  once  why  he  did  not  kill 
himself,  and  be  done  with  it. 

"  That,"  said  he,  "is  not  allowed.  The  temptation  to 
kill  one's  self  is  one  of  the  strongest  that  human  nature 
can  experience,  but  it  is  one  that  we  must  struggle 
against,  of  course,  for  it  is  against  all  law.  The  great- 
est blessing  must  not  be  seized.  It  must  be  given  by 
nature  or  man.  Those  who  violate  the  blessed  mystery 
of  death  are  infamous. 

He  assured  me  that  he  had  all  his  life  cultivated  the 
loftiest  feelings  of  love  to  others.  His  greatest  happi- 
ness consisted  in  doing  good  to  others,  especially  in  kill- 
ing them.  The  blessing  of  death,  being  the  greatest  of 
all  blessings,  was  the  one  which  he  loved  best  to  bestow 
upon  others;  and  the  more  he  loved  his  fellow-creatures 
the  more  he  wished  to  give  them  this  blessing.  "  You," 
said  he,  "  are  particularly  aear  to  me,  and  I  should  rather 
give  to  you  the  blessing  of  death  than  to  any  other  hu- 
man being.  I  love  you,  Atam-or,  and  I  long  to  kill  you 
at  this  moment." 

"  You  had  better  not  try  it,"  said  I,  grimly. 

He  shook  his  head  despondingly. 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  he;  "  it  is  against  the  law.  I  must  not 
do  it  till  the  time  comes." 

"  Do  you  kill  many  ?"  I  asked. 

"  It  is  my  pleasing  and  glorious  office,"  ho  replied, 
*'  to  kill  more  than  any  other;  for,  you  must  know,  I  am 
the  Sar  TabaJcin  "  (chief  of  the  executioners). 

The  Chief  Pauper's  love  of  death  had  grown  to  be  an 
all-absorbing  passion.     He  longed  to  give  death  to  all. 


Found  in  a  Copper   Cylinder.  267 

As  with  us  there  are  certain  philanthropists  who  have 
a  mania  for  doing  good,  so  here  the  pauper  class  had  a 
mania  for  doing  what  they  considered  good  in  this  way. 
The  Chief  Pauper  was  a  sort  of  Kosekin  Howard  or 
Peabody,  and  was  regarded  by  all  with  boundless  rev- 
erence. To  me,  however,  he  was  an  object  of  never-end- 
ing hate,  abhorrence,  and  loathing ;  and,  added  to  this, 
was  the  thought  that  there  might  be  here  some  equally 
hideous  female — some  one  like  the  nightmare  hag  of  the 
outer  sea — a  torment  and  a  horror  to  Almah. 


268  -4  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  CEREMONY  OF  SEPARATION. 

Separated  from  Almah,  surrounded  by  foul  fiends, 
in  darkness  and  the  shadow  of  d*eath,  with  the  baleful 
prospect  of  the  Mista  ITosel;  it  was  mine  to  endure  the 
bitterest  anguish  and  despair;  and  in  me  these  feelings 
were  all  the  worse  from  the  thought  that  Almah  was  in 
a  similar  state,  and  was  enduring  equal  woes.  All  that 
I  suffered  in  my  present  condition  she  too  was  suffering 
— and  from  this  there  was  no  possibility  of  escape.  Per- 
haps her  surroundings  were  even  worse,  and  her  suffer- 
ings keener;  for  who  could  tell  what  these  people  might 
inflict  in  their  strange  and  perverted  impulses  ? 

Many  Joms  passed,  and  there  was  only  one  thing  that 
sustained  me — the  hope  of  seeing  Almah  yet  again, 
though  it  were  but  for  a  moment.  That  hope,  however, 
was  but  faint.  There  was  no  escape.  The  gate  was 
barred  without  and  within.  I  was  surrounded  by  mis- 
creants, who  formed  the  chief  class  in  the  state  and  the 
ruling  order.  The  Chief  Pauper  was  the  highest  mag- 
istrate in  the  land,  from  whose  opinion  there  was  no 
appeal,  and  the  other  paupers  here  formed  the  Kosc- 
kin  senate.  Here,  in  imprisonment  and  darkness,  they 
formed  a  secret  tribunal  and  controlled  everything. 
They  were  objects  of  envy  to  all.  All  looked  forward 
to  tliis  position  as  the  highest  object  of  human  ambi- 
tion, and  the  friends  and  relatives  of  those  here  rejoiced 
in  their  honor.  Their  powers  were  not  executive,  but 
deliberative.     To  the  Meleks  and  Athons  were  left  the 


Found  in  a  Copiicr  Cylinder.  2G9 

exercise  of  authority,  but  their  acts  were  always  in  sub- 
ordination to  the  will  of  the  paupers. 

"I  have  everything  that  heart  can  wish,"  said  the 
Chief  Pauper  to  me  once.  "  Look  at  me,  Atam-or,  and 
see  me  as  I  stand  here:  I  have  poverty,  squalor,  cold, 
perpetual  darkness,  the  privilege  of  killing  others,  the 
near  prospect  of  death,  and  the  certainty  of  the  Jlista 
Kosek — all  these  I  have,  and  yet,  Atam-or,  after  all,  I 
am  not  happy." 

To  this  strange  speech  I  had  nothing  to  say. 

"  Yes,"  continued  the  Chief  Pauper,  in  a  pensive  tone, 
"  for  twenty  seasons  I  have  reigned  as  chief  of  the  Kose- 
kin  in  this  place.  My  cavern  is  the  coldest,  squalidest, 
and  darkest  in  the  land.  My  raiment  is  the  coarsest  rags. 
I  have  separated  from  all  my  friends.  I  have  had  much 
sickness.  I  have  the  closest  captivity.  Death,  dark- 
ness, poverty,  want,  all  that  men  most  live  and  long  for, 
are  mine  to  satiety;  and  yet,  as  I  look  back  and  count 
t\ie  joins  of  my  life  to  see  in  how  many  I  have  known 
happiness,  I  find  that  in  all  they  amount  to  just  seven  ! 
Oh,  Atam-or,  what  a  comment  is  this  on  the  vanity  of 
human  life  !" 

To  this  I  had  no  answer  ready;  but  by  way  of  saying 
something,  I  offered  to  kill  him  on  the  spot. 

"Kay,  nay,  Atam-or,"  said  he,  with  a  melancholy 
smile,  "do  not  tempt  me.  Leave  me  to  struggle  with 
temptations  by  myself,  and  do  not  seek  to  make  me 
falter  in  my  duty.  Yes,  Atam-or,  you  behold  in  me  a 
melancholy  example  of  the  folly  of  ambition;  for  I  often 
think,  as  I  look  down  from  my  lofty  eminence,  that  after 
all  it  is  as  well  to  remain  content  in  the  humble  sphere 
in  which  we  are  placed  at  birth ;  for  perhaps,  if  the  truth 
were  known,  there  is  quite  as  much  real  happiness  among 
the  rich  and  splendid — among  the  Athons  and  Meleks." 

On  this  occasion  I  took  advantage  of  the  Chief  Pau- 


270  A  Strange  Manuscript 

por's  softer  mood  to  poui*  forth  an  earnest  entreaty  for 
him  to  save  Almah's  life,  or  at  least  to  mitigate  her  mis- 
erics.  Alas  !  he  was  inexorable.  It  was  like  an  appeal 
of  some  mad  prisoner  to  some  gentle-hearted  governor 
in  Christendom,  entreating  him  to  put  some  fellow-pris- 
oner to  death,  or  at  least  to  make  his  confinement  more 
severe. 

The  Chief  Pauper  stared  at  me  in  horror. 

"You  are  a  strange  being,  Atam-or,"  said  he,  gently. 
"  Sometimes  I  think  you  mad.  I  can  only  say  that  such 
a  request  is  horrible  to  me  beyond  all  words.  Such  deg- 
radation and  cruelty  to  the  gentle  and  virtuous  Almah 
is  outrageous  and  forever  impossible;  no,  we  will  not 
deprive  her  of  a  single  one  of  those  blessings  Avhich  she 
now  enjoys." 

I  turned  away  in  despair. 

At  length  one  Jam  the  Chief  Pauper  came  to  me  with 
a  smile  and  said, 

"  Atam-or,  let  me  congratulate  you  on  this  joyous  oc- 
casion." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  asked. 

"You  are  to  have  your  ceremony  of  separation." 

"  Separation  !"  I  repeated. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "Almah  has  given  notice  to  us.  She 
has  announced  her  intention  of  giving  you  up,  and  sep- 
arating from  you.  AVith  us  the  woman  always  gives 
the  announcement  in  such  cases.  We  have  fixed  the 
ceremony  for  the  third  Jom  from  this,  and  I  hope  you 
will  not  think  it  too  soon." 

This  strange  intelligence  moved  me  greatly.  I  did 
not  like  the  idea  of  a  ceremony  of  separation;  but  be- 
hind this  there  rose  the  prospect  of  seeing  Almah,  and  I 
felt  convinced  that  she  had  devised  this  as  a  mode  of 
holding  communication  with  me,  or  at  least  of  seeing 
rae  again.     The  thought  of  Layelah  was  the  only  thing 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  271 

that  interfered  with  this  belief,  for  it  might  be  her  do- 
ings after  all ;  yet  the  fact  remained  that  I  was  to  see 
Alraah,  and  in  this  I  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great 
joy. 

The  appointed  Jo??i  came.  A  procession  was  formed 
of  the  paupers.  The  chief  did  not  go,  as  he  never  left 
the  cavern  except  on  the  great  sacrifices  and  Mista 
E^oseks.  The  door  was  opened,  and  I  accompanied  the 
procession.  On  our  way  all  was  dark,  and  after  travers- 
ing many  passages  we  came  at  length  to  the  door  of  a 
cavern  as  gloomy  as  the  one  I  had  left.  On  entering 
this  I  found  all  dark  and  drear;  and  a  little  distance 
before  me  there  was  a  light  burning,  around  which  was 
gathered  a  group  of  hags  hideous  beyond  all  expression. 
But  these  I  scarcely  noticed;  for  there  amid  them,  all 
pale  and  wan,  with  her  face  now  lighted  up  with  joyous 
and  eager  expectation,  I  saw  my  darling — my  Almah ! 
I  caught  her  in  my  arms,  and  for  a  few  moments  neither 
of  us  spoke  a  word.  She  sobbed  upon  my  breast,  but  I 
knew  that  the  tears  which  she  shed  were  tears  of  joy. 
Nor  was  our  joy  checked  by  the  thought  that  it  was  to 
be  so  shoi-t-lived.  It  was  enough  at  that  moment  that 
we  saw  one  another — enough  that  we  were  in  one  an- 
other's arms;  and  so  we  mingled  our  tears  and  shared 
one  common  rapture.  And  sweet  it  was — sweet  beyond 
all  expression — the  sweetest  moment  in  all  my  life;  for 
it  had  come  in  the  midst  of  the  drear  desolation  of  my 
heart  and  the  black  despair.  It  was  like  a  flash  of  light- 
ning in  the  intense  darkness,  short  and  sudden  indeed, 
yet  still  intense  while  it  lasted,  and  in  an  instant  filling 
all  with  its  glow. 

"I  did  this,"  murmured  Almah,  "to  see  you  and  to 
save  you." 

"  Save  me  !"  I  repeated. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "  I  have  seen  Layelah.    She  told  me 


2V2  A  Strange  Manuscript 

that  there  is  this  chance  and  this  one  only  to  save  you. 
I  determined  to  try  it.  I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  you 
at  the  sacrifice-^and  for  love  of  me  meeting  your  death 
— for  I  would  die  to  save  you,  Atam-or." 

I  pressed  her  closer  in  my  arms. 

"  Oh,  Almah,"  said  I,  "I  would  die  to  save  you  !  and 
if  this  ceremony  will  save  you  I  will  go  through  with  it, 
and  accept  my  fate  whatever  it  may  be." 

We  were  now  interrupted. 

The  women — the  hags  of  horror — the  shriek-like  ones, 
as  I  may  call  them;  or  the  fiend-like,  the  female  fiends, 
the  foul  ones — they  were  all  around  us;  and  one  there 
was  who  looked  so  exactly  like  the  nightmare  hag  of 
the  outer  sea  that  I  felt  sure  she  must  be  the  same,  who 
by  some  strange  chance  had  come  here.  Such,  indeed, 
is  quite  likely,  for  there  may  have  been  a  pass  over  the 
mountains  to  the  land  of  the  Kosekin;  and  those  savage 
cannibals  may  all  have  been  honored  Kosekin  exiles, 
dwelling  in  poverty,  want,  woe,  and  darkness,  all  of 
which  may  have  been  allotted  to  them  as  a  reward  for 
eminent  virtues.  And  so  here  she  was,  the  nightmare 
hag,  and  I  saw  that  she  recognized  me. 

A  circle  was  now  formed  around  us,  and  the  light 
stood  in  the  middle.  TJie  nightmare  hag  also  stood 
within  the  circle  on  the  other  side  of  the  light  opposite 
us.  The  beams  of  the  lamp  flickered  through  the  dark- 
ness, faintly  illuminating  the  faces  of  the  horrible  creat- 
lares  around,  who,  foul  and  repulsive  as  harjiies,  seemed 
like  unclean  beasts,  ready  to  make  us  their  prey.  Their 
glances  seemed  to  menace  death;  their  blear  eyes  rested 
upon  us  with  a  horrid  eager  hunger.  My  worst  fears 
at  that  moment  seemed  realized;  for  I  saw  that  Almah's 
associates  were  worse  than  mine,  and  her  fate  had  been 
more  bitter.  And  I  wondered  how  it  had  been  possible 
for  her  to  live  among  such  associates;  or,  even  though 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  273 

she  had  lived  thus  far,  whether  it  would  be  possible  for 
her  to  endure  it  longer. 

And  now  there  arose  a  melancholy  chant  from  the  old 
hags  around — a  dreadful  strain,  that  sounded  like  a  fu- 
neral dirge,  sung  in  shrill,  discordant  voices,  led  by  the 
nightmare  hag,  who  as  she  sang  M^aved  in  her  hand  a 
kind  of  club.  All  the  time  I  held  Almali  in  my  arms, 
regardless  of  those  around  us,  thinking  only  of  her  from 
whom  I  must  soon  again  be  separated,  and  whom  I  must 
leave  in  this  drear  abode  to  meet  her  fearful  fate  alone. 
The  chant  continued  for  some  time,  and  as  long  as  it 
continued  it  was  sweet  to  me;  for  it  prolonged  the  meet- 
ing with  Almah,  and  postponed  by  so  much  our  separa- 
tion. 

At  length  the  chant  ceased.  The  nightmare  hag 
looked  fixedly  at  us,  and  spoke  these  words  : 

"  You  have  embraced  for  the  last  time.  Henceforth 
there  is  no  more  sorrow  in  your  love.  You  may  be 
happy  now  in  being  forever  disunited,  and  in  knowing 
the  bliss  of  eternal  separation.  As  darkness  is  better 
than  light,  as  death  is  better  than  life,  so  you  may  find 
separation  better  than  union." 

She  now  gave  a  blow  with  her  club  at  the  lamp,  which 
broke  it  to  atoms  and  extinguished  the  flame.  She  con- 
tinued : 

"As  the  baleful  light  is  succeeded  by  the  blessed 
darkness,  so  may  you  find  the  light  of  union  followed 
by  the  blessed  darkness  of  separation." 

And  now  in  the  deep  darkness  we  stood  clasped  in 
one  another's  arms;  while  around  us,  from  the  horrible 
circle  of  hags,  there  arose  another  chant  as  harsh  and 
discordant  as  the  previous  one,  but  which,  nevertheless, 
like  that,  served  at  least  to  keep  us  together  a  little 
lonjrer.  For  this  reason  it  sounded  sweeter  than  the 
sweetest  music;  and  therefore,  when  at  last  the  hideous 
12* 


274  A  Strange  Mamiscrijjt 

noise  ended,  I  felt  a  pang  of  grief,  for  I  knew  that  I 
must  now  give  up  Almah  forever. 

I  was  right.  The  ceremony  was  over.  We  liad  to 
part,  and  we  parted  with  tears  of  despair.  I  was  led 
away,  and  as  I  went  I  heard  Almah's  sobs.  I  broke 
away,  and  tried  to  return  for  one  more  embrace  ;  but  in 
the  darkness  I  could  not  find  her,  and  could  only  hear 
her  sobs  at  a  greater  distance,  which  showed  that  she 
too  was  being  led  away.     I  called  after  her, 

"  Farewell,  Almah !" 

Her  reply  came  back  broken  with  sobs. 

"  Farewell  forever,  Atam-or  !" 

I  was  once  more  led  away,  and  again  traversed  the 
dark  passages,  and  again  came  back  to  my  den,  which 
now  seemed  dark  with  the  blackness  of  despair. 

On  my  return  I  was  formally  and  solemnly  congratu- 
lated by  all  the  paupers.  I  should  not  have  received 
their  congratulations  had  I  not  expected  that  there 
would  be  something  more.  I  expected  that  something 
would  be  said  about  the  result  of  this  act  of  separation; 
for  Almah  had  believed  that  it  would  have  been  the  means 
of  saving  my  life,  and  I  believed  that  it  would  be  the 
means  of  saving  her  life,  and  for  this  reason  each  of  us 
had  performed  our  part;  although,  of  course,  the  joy  of 
meeting  with  one  another  would  of  itself  have  been  suf- 
ficient, and  more  than  sufficient,  to  make  that  ceremony 
an  object  of  desire.  I  thought,  therefore,  that  some 
statement  might  now  be  made  to  the  effect  that  by 
means  of  this  ceremony  my  status  among  the  Kosekin 
would  be  changed,  and  that  both  I  and  Almah,  being 
no  longer  lovers,  would  be  no  longer  fit  for  the  sacri- 
fice. To  my  intense  disappointment,  however,  nothing 
whatever  was  said  that  had  the  remotest  reference  to 
this. 

On  the  following  jom  I  determined  to  ask  the  Chief 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  275 

Pauper  himself  directly;  and  accordingly,  after  a  brief 
preamble,  I  put  tbe  question  point-blank  : 

"  Will  our  ceremony  of  separation  make  any  differ- 
ence as  to  our  sacrifice  ?" 

"  What  ?"  he  asked,  with  a  puzzled  expression. 

I  repeated  the  question. 

"  I  don't  understand,"  said  he,  still  looking  puzzled. 

Upon  this  I  once  more  repeated  it. 

"How  can  that  be?"  said  he,  at  length;  "how  can 
the  ceremony  of  separation  have  any  effect  upon  your 
sacrifice  ?  The  ceremony  of  separation  stands  by  itself 
as  the  sign  and  symbol  of  an  additional  blessing.  This 
new  happiness  of  separation  is  a  great  favor,  and  will 
make  you  the  object  of  new  envy  and  admiration;  for 
few  have  been  so  fortunate  as  you  in  all  the  history  of 
the  Kosekin.  But  you  are  the  favorite  of  the  Kosekin 
now,  and  there  is  nothing  that  they  will  not  do  for  you." 

"But  we  were  separate  before,"  said  I,  indignantly. 

"That  is  true,"  said  he,  "in  point  of  fact;  but  this 
ceremony  makes  your  separation  a  legal  thing,  and  gives 
it  the  solemn  sanction  of  law  and  of  religion.  Amonir 
the  Kosekin  one  cannot  be  considered  as  a  separate  man 
until  the  ceremony  of  separation  has  been  publicly  per- 
formed." 

"  I  understood,"  said  I,  "  that  we  were  chosen  to  suf- 
fer the  sacrifice  together  because  we  were  lovers  ;  and 
now,  since  you  do  not  any  longer  regard  us  as  lovers, 
why  do  5'ou  sacrifice  us  ?" 

At  this  question  the  Chief  Pauper  looked  at  me  with 
one  of  those  hungry  glances  of  his,  which  showed  how 
he  thirsted  for  my  blood,  and  he  smiled  the  smile  of  an 
evil  fiend. 

"  Why  do  we  sacrifice  you,  Atam-or  ?"  he  replied. 
"  Why,  because  we  honor  you  both,  and  love  you  both 
so  dearly  that  we  are  eager  to  give  you  the  greatest  of 


276  A  Strange  Manuscript 

all  blessings,  ancl  to  den)'-  you  nothing  that  is  in  our 
power  to  bestow." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  sacrifice  both  of  us  ?"  I  gasped. 

"Of  course." 

"  What !  Almah  too  ?" 

"  Certainly.  "Why  should  we  be  so  cruel  to  the  dear 
child  as  to  deprive  her  of  so  great  a  boon  ?" 

At  this  I  groaned  aloud  and  turned  away  in  despair. 

Many  Jo??25  now  passed  away.  I  grew  more  and  more 
melancholy  and  desperate.  I  thought  sometimes  of 
lighting  my  way  out.  My  fire-arras  were  now  my  chief 
consolation  ;  for  I  had  fully  made  up  my  mind  not  to 
die  quietly  like  a  slaughtered  calf,  but  to  strike  a  blow 
for  life,  and  meet  my  death  amid  slain  enemies.  In  this 
prospect  I  found  some  satisfaction,  and  death  was  robbed 
of  some  of  its  terrors. 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  277 


CPIAPTER  XXX. 

TUE    DAY   OF    SACRIFICE. 

At  last  the  time  came. 

It  was  the  end  of  the  dark  season.  Then,  as  the  sun 
rises  for  its  permanent  course  around  the  heavens,  when 
the  long  day  of  six  months  begins,  all  in  the  land  of  the 
Kosekin  is  sorrow,  and  the  last  of  the  loved  darkness  is 
mourned  over  amid  the  most  solemn  ceremonies,  and 
celebrated  with  the  most  imposing  sacrifices.  Then  the 
most  honored  in  all  the  land  are  publicly  presented  with 
the  blessing  of  death  and  allowed  to  depart  this  hated 
life,  and  go  to  the  realms  of  that  eternal  darkness  which 
they  love  so  well.  It  is  the  greatest  of  sacrifices,  and  is 
followed  by  the  greatest  of  feasts.  Thus  the  busy  sea- 
son— the  loved  season  of  darkness — ends,  and  the  long, 
hateful  season  of  light  begins,  when  the  Kosekin  lurk  in 
caverns  and  live  in  this  way  in  the  presence  of  what  may 
be  called  artificial  darkness. 

It  was  for  us — for  mo  and  for  Almah — the  day  of 
doom.  Since  the  ceremony  of  separation  I  had  not  seen 
her;  but  my  heart  had  been  always  with  her.  I  did  not 
even  know  whether  she  was  alive  or  not,  but  believed 
that  she  must  be  ;  for  I  thought  that  if  she  had  died  I 
should  have  heard  of  it,  as  the  Kosekin  would  have  re- 
joiced greatly  over  such  an  event.  For  every  death  is 
to  them  an  occasion  of  joy,  and  the  death  of  one  so  dis- 
tinguished and  so  beloved  as  Almah  would  have  given 
rise  to  nothing  less  than  a  national  festival. 

Of  time  I  had  but  a  poor  reckoning;  but,  from  the 


278  A  Strange  Manuscript 

way  in  wliicli  the  paupers  kept  account  of  their  jotJis,  I 
judged  that  about  three  months  had  elapsed  since  the 
ceremony  of  separation. 

The  paupers  Avere  now  all  joyous  with  a  hideous  joy. 
The  Chief  Pauper  was  more  abhorrent  than  ever,  lie 
had  the  blood-thirst  strong  upon  hira.  He  was  on  that 
Jom  to  perform  liis  horrible  office  of  Sar  Ihhaldii,  and 
as  he  accosted  me  he  smiled  the  smile  of  a  demon,  and 
congratulated  me  on  my  coming  escape  from  life.  To 
this  I  had  no  word  of  answer  to  make  ;  but  my  hands 
lield  my  rifle  and  pistol,  and  these  I  clutched  with  a 
firmer  grasp  as  my  last  hour  approached. 

The  time  for  departure  at  length  arrived.  Soldiers 
of  the  Kosekin  came,  following  the  paupers,  who  went 
first,  while  the  guards  came  after  me.  Thus  we  all 
emerged  into  the  open  air.  There  the  broad  terrace  al- 
ready mentioned  spi'ead  out  before  my  eyes,  filled  with 
thousands  upon  thousands  of  human  beings.  It  seemed 
as  though  the  entire  population  of  the  city  was  there, 
and  so  densely  packed  was  this  great  crowd  that  it  was 
only  with  great  difficulty  that  a  way  was  laid  open  for 
our  passage. 

Above  was  the  sky,  where  the  stars  were  twinkling 
faintly.  There  was  no  longer  the  light  of  the  aurora 
australis  ;  the  constellations  glimmered  but  dimly,  the 
moon  was  shinhig  with  but  a  feeble  ray;  for  there,  far 
away  over  the  icy  crests  of  the  lofty  mountains,  I  saw 
a  long  line  of  sj^lendid  effulgence,  all  golden  and  red — 
the  light  of  the  new  dawn — the  dawn  of  that  long  day 
which  was  now  aj)proaching.  The  sight  of  that  dawn- 
ing light  gave  me  new  life.  It  was  like  a  sight  of  home 
— the  blessed  dawn,  the  sunlight  of  a  bright  day,  the 
glorious  daybreak  lost  for  so  long  a  time,  but  now  at  last 
returning.  I  feasted  my  eyes  on  the  spectacle,  I  burst 
into  tears  of  joy,  and  I  felt  as  though  I  could  gaze  at  it 


Found  hi  a  Co2:)per  Cylinder.  279 

forever.  But  the  sun  as  it  travelled  was  rapidly  com- 
ing into  view;  soon  the  dazzling  glory  of  its  rim  would 
appear  above  the  mountain  crest,  and  the  season  of  dark- 
ness would  end.  '  There  was  no  time  to  wait,  and  the 
guards  hurried  me  on. 

There  in  the  midst  of  the  square  rose  the  pyramid. 
It  was  fully  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  with  a  broad  flat 
top.  At  the  base  I  saw  a  great  crowd  of  paupers. 
Through  these  we  passed,  and  as  we  did  so  a  horrible 
death-chant  arose.  We  now  went  up  the  steps  and 
reached  the  top.  It  was  about  sixty  feet  square,  and 
upon  it  there  was  a  quadrangle  of  stones  set  about  three 
feet  apart,  about  sixty  in  number,  while  in  the  midst  was 
a  larger  stone.  All  of  these  were  evidently  intended  for 
sacrificial  purposes. 

Scarcely  had  I  reached  the  top  when  I  saw  a  proces- 
sion ascend  from  the  other  side.  First  came  some  pau- 
pers, then  some  hags,  and  then  followed  by  other  hags 
I  saw  Almah.  I  was  transfixed  at  the  sight.  A  thrill 
passed  through  every  nerve,  and  a  wild  impulse  came  to 
me  to  burst  through  the  crowd,  join  her,  and  battle  with 
them  all  for  my  life.  But  the  crowd  was  too  dense.  I 
could  only  stand  and  look  at  her,  and  mark  the  paleness 
of  her  face  and  her  mute  despair.  She  saw  me,  waved 
her  hand  sadly,  and  gave  me  a  mournful  smile.  There 
we  stood  separated  by  the  crowd,  with  our  eyes  fastened 
on  each  other,  and  all  our  hearts  filled  with  one  deep, 
intense  yearning  to  fly  to  one  another's  side. 

And  now  there  came  up  from  below,  louder  and  deep- 
er, the  awful  death-chant.  Time  was  pressing.  The 
preparations  were  made.  The  Chief  Pauper  took  his 
station  by  the  central  stone,  and  in  his  right  hand  he 
held  a  long,  keen  knife.  Towards  this  stone  I  was  led. 
The  Chief  Pauper  then  looked  with  his  blear  and  blink- 
ing eyes  to  where  the  dawn  was  glowing  over  the  moun- 


280  A  Strange  Manuscript 

tain  crest,  and  every  moment  increasing  in  brightness  ; 
and  tlien,  after  a  brief  survey,  he  turned  and  whetted 
his  knife  on  the  sacrificial  stone.  After  this  he  turned 
to  me  with  his  evil  face,  with  the  glare  of  a  horrid 
death-hunger  in  his  ravenous  eyes,  and  pointed  to  the 
stone. 

I  stood  without  motion. 

He  repeated  the  gesture  and  said,  "Lie  down  here  !" 

"  I  will  not,"  said  I. 

"  But  it  is  on  this  stone,"  said  he,  "  that  you  are  to 
get  the  blessing  of  death." 

"I'll  die  first !"  said  I  fiercely,  and  I  raised  my  rifle. 

The  Chief  Pauper  was  puzzled  at  this.  The  others 
looked  on  quietly,  thinking  it  probably  a  debate  about 
some  punctilio.  Suddenly  he  seemed  struck  with  an 
idea. 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  he.  "The  woman  first.  It  is  bet- 
ter so." 

Saying  this,  he  walked  towards  Almah,  and  said  some- 
thing to  the  hags. 

At  this  the  chief  of  them — namely,  the  nightmare  hag 
— led  Almah  to  the  nearest  stone,  and  motioned  to  her  to 
lie  down.  Almah  prepared  to  obey,  but  paused  a  mo- 
ment to  throw  at  me  one  last  glance  and  wave  her  band 
as  a  last  farewell.  Then  without  a  word  she  laid  her- 
self down  upon  the  stone. 

At  this  a  thrill  of  fury  rushed  through  all  my  being, 
rousing  me  from  my  stupor,  impelling  me  to  action, 
filling  my  brain  with  madness.  The  nightmare  hag 
had  already  raised  her  long,  keen  knife  in  the  air.  An- 
other moment  and  the  blow  would  have  fallen.  But  my 
rifle  was  at  my  shoulder;  my  aim  was  deadly.  The  re- 
port rang  out  like  thunder.  A  wild,  piercing  yell  fol- 
lowed, and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away  the  nightmare 
bag  lay  dead  at  the  foot  of  the  altar.     I  was  already 


Foimd  in  a   Copper  Cylinder.  281 

tlierc,  having  bui'st  through  the  astonished  crowd,  and 
Ahnah  was  in  my  arms;  and  holding  her  thus  for  a  mo- 
ment I  put  myself  in  front  of  her  and  stood  at  bay,  with 
my  only  thought  that  of  defending  her  to  the  last  and 
selling  my  life  as  dearly  as  possible. 

The  result  was  amazing. 

After  the  report  there  was  for  some  moments  a  deep 
silence,  which  was  followed  by  a  wild,  abrupt  cry  from 
half  a  million  people— the  roar  of  indistinguishable 
words  bursting  forth  from  the  lips  of  all  that  throng, 
whose  accumulated  volume  arose  in  one  vast  thunder- 
clap of  sound,  pealing  forth,  echoing  along  the  terraced 
streets,  and  rolling  on  far  away  in  endless  reverbera- 
tions. It  was  like  the  roar  of  mighty  cataracts,  like  the 
sound  of  many  waters  ;  and  at  the  voice  of  that  vast 
multitude  I  shrank  back  for  a  moment.  As  I  did  so  I 
looked  down  and  beheld  a  scene  as  appalling  as  the 
sound  that  had  overawed  me.  In  all  that  countless 
throng  of  human  beings  there  was  not  one  who  was  not 
in  motion  ;  and  all  were  pressing  forward  towards  the 
pyramid  as  to  a  common  centre.  On  every  side  there 
was  a  multitudinous  sea  of  upturned  faces,  extending 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  All  were  in  violent  agi- 
tation, as  though  all  were  possessed  by  one  common  im- 
pulse which  forced  them  towards  me.  At  such  a  sight 
I  thought  of  nothing  else  than  that  I  was  the  object  of 
their  wrath,  and  that  they  were  all  with  one  common 
fury  rushing  towards  me  to  wreak  vengeance  upon  me 
and  upon  Almah  for  the  slaughter  of  the  nightmare 
hag. 

All  this  was  the  work  of  but  a  few  moments.  And 
now  as  I  stood  there  holding  Almah — appalled,  despair- 
ing, yet  resolute  and  calm — I  became  aware  of  a  more 
imminent  danger.  On  the  top  of  the  pyramid,  at  the 
report  of  the  rifle,  all  had  fallen  down  flat  on  their 


282  A  Strange  Manuscript 

faces,  and  it  was  over  tliem  that  I  had  rushed  to  Almah's 
side.  But  these  now  began  to  rise,  and  the  hags  took 
up  the  corpse  of  the  dead,  and  the  paupers  swarmed 
around  with  cries  of  '^  JWut,  mutP^  (dead,  dead  !),  and 
exclamations  of  wonder.  Then  they  all  turned  their 
foul  and  bleary  eyes  towards  me,  and  stood  as  if  trans- 
fixed with  astonishment.  At  length  there  burst  forth 
from  the  crowd  one  who  sought  to  get  at  me.  It  was 
the  Chief  Pauper.  lie  still  held  in  his  hand  the  long 
knife  of  sacrifice.  He  said  not  a  word,  but  rushed 
straight  at  me,  and  as  he  came  I  saw  murder  in  his  look. 
I  did  not  wait  for  him,  but,  raising  my  rifle,  discharged 
the  second  barrel  full  in  his  face.  He  fell  down,  a  shat- 
tered, blackened  heap,  dead. 

As  the  second  report  thundered  out  it  drowned  all 
other  sounds,  and  was  again  followed  by  an  awful  si- 
lence. I  looked  around.  Those  on  the  j^yraniid — pau- 
pers and  hags — had  again  flung  themselves  on  their 
faces.  On  the  square  below  the  whole  multitude  were 
on  their  knees,  with  their  heads  bowed  down  low.  The 
silence  was  more  oppressive  than  before  ;  it  was  appal- 
ling— it  was  tremendous!  It  seemed  like  the  dread  si- 
lence that  precedes  the  more  awful  outburst  of  the  hur- 
ricane when  the  storm  is  gathering  up  all  its  strength 
to  burst  with  accumulated  fury  upon  its  doomed  victim. 

But  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost  in  staring,  and  that 
interval  was  occupied  by  me  in  hastily  reloading  my  rifle. 
It  was  my  last  resource  now;  and  if  it  availed  not  for 
defence  it  might  at  least  serve  to  be  used  against  our- 
selves. With  this  thought  I  handed  the  pistol  to  Almah, 
and  hurriedly  whispered  to  her  that  if  I  were  killed  she 
could  use  it  against  herself.  She  took  it  in  silence,  but 
I  read  in  her  face  her  invincible  resolve. 

The  storm  at  last  burst.  The  immense  multitude  rose 
to  their  feet,  and  with  one  common  impulse  came  press- 


Found  in  a  Coioper  Cylinder.  283 

ing  on  from  every  side  towards  the  pyramid,  apparently 
filled  with  the  one  universal  desire  of  reacliing  me — a 
desire  which  was  now  all  the  more  intense  and  vehement 
from  these  interruptions  which  had  taken  place.  Why 
they  had  fallen  on  their  knees,  why  the  paupers  on  the 
pyramid  were  still  prostrate,  I  could  not  tell;  but  I  saw 
now  the  swarming  multitude,  and  I  felt  that  they  were 
rolling  in  on  every  side — merciless,  bloodthirsty,  im- 
placable— to  tear  me  to  pieces.  Yet  time  passed  and 
they  did  not  reach  me,  for  an  obstacle  was  interposed. 
The  pyramid  had  smooth  sides.  The  stairways  that  led 
up  to  the  summit  were  narrow,  and  did  not  admit  of 
more  than  two  at  a  time;  yet,  had  the  Kosekin  been 
like  other  people  the  summit  of  the  pyramid  would  soon 
have  been  swarming  with  them,  but  as  they  were  Kose- 
kin none  came  up  to  the  top;  for  at  the  base  of  the  pyr- 
amid, at  the  bottom  of  the  steps,  I  saw  a  strange  and  in- 
credible struggle.  It  was  not,  as  with  us,  Avho  should 
go  up  first,  but  Avho  should  go  up  last;  each  tried  to 
make  his  neighbor  go  before  him.  All  were  eager  to 
go,  but  the  Kosekin  self-denial,  self-sacrifice,  and  love 
for  the  good  of  others  made  each  one  intensely  desirous 
to  make  others  go  up.  This  resulted  in  a  furious  strug- 
gle, in  which  as  fast  as  any  one  would  be  pushed  up  the 
steps  a  little  way  he  would  jump  down  again  and  turn 
his  efforts  towards  putting  up  others;  and  thus  all  tlie 
energies  of  the  people  were  worn  out  in  useless  and  un- 
availing efforts — in  a  struggle  to  which,  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  case,  there  could  be  no  end. 

Now  those  on  the  pyramid  began  to  rise,  and  soon  all 
■were  on  their  feet.  Cries  burst  forth  from  them.  All 
were  looking  at  us,  but  with  nothing  like  hostility;  it 
■was  rather  like  reverence  and  adoration,  and  these  feel- 
ings were  expressed  unmistakably  in  their  cries,  among 
which  I  could  plainly  distinguish  such  words  as  these: 


284  A  S'trange  Manuscript 

" Ap  Ham/"  " 3Iosel  anmi  wacoseJcP^  "  Sopet  31(11/" — 
The  Father  of  Thunder !  Ruler  of  Cloud  and  Darkness  ! 
Judge  of  Death !  These  cries  passed  to  those  below. 
The  struggle  ceased.  All  stood  and  joined  in  the  cry, 
which  was  taken  up  by  those  nearest,  and  soon  passed 
among  all  those  myriads  to  be  repeated  with  thunder 
echoes  far  and  wide. 

At  this  it  suddenly  became  plain  to  me  that  the  dan- 
ger of  death  had  passed  away;  that  these  people  no 
longer  regarded  me  as  a  victim,  but  rather  as  some 
mighty  being  —  some  superior,  perhajis  suj^ernatural 
power,  who  was  to  be  almost  worshipjied.  Hence  these 
prostrations,  these  words,  these  cries,  these  looks.  All 
these  told  me  that  the  bitterness  of  death  had  passed 
away.  At  this  discovery  there  was,  for  a  moment,  a 
feeling  of  aversion  and  horror  within  me  at  filling  such 
a  position;  that  I,  a  weak  mortal,  should  dare  to  receive 
adoration  like  this,  and  I  recoiled  at  the  thought;  yet 
this  feeling  soon  passed,  for  life  was  at  stake — not  my 
own  merely,  but  that  of  Almah;  and  I  was  ready  now 
to  go  through  anything  if  only  I  might  save  her;  so,  in- 
stead of  shrinking  from  this  new  part,  I  eagerly  seized 
upon  it,  and  at  once  determined  to  take  advantage  of 
the  popular  superstition  to  the  utmost. 

Far  away  over  the  crests  of  the  mountains  I  saw  the 
golden  edge  of  the  sun's  disk,  and  the  light  flowed  there- 
from in  broad  effulgence,  throwing  out  long  rays  of 
glory  in  a  luminous  flood  over  all  the  land.  I  pointed 
to  the  glorious  orb,  and  cried  to  the  paupers  and  to  all 
who  wei*e  nearest,  in  a  loud  voice: 

"  I  am  Atara-or,  the  Man  of  Light.  I  come  from  the 
land  of  light.  I  am  the  Father  of  Thunder,  of  Cloud 
and  Darkness — the  Judge  of  Death!" 

At  this  the  paupers  all  fell  prostrate,  and  cried  out  to 
me  to  give  them  the  blessing  of  death. 


"I   A.M    AIAM-Ulv,   TUK    .MA.\    Ui'    LloUX. 


Found  in  a   Copper   Cylinder.  285 

I  made  no  answer,  but  leading  Almali  to  tbe  edge  of 
tlie  pyramid  told  her  to  fire  the  pistol.  A  million  eyes 
were  fixed  on  us.  She  held  up  the  pistol  and  fired.  Im- 
mediately after  I  fired  both  barrels  of  the  rifle;  and  as 
the  reports  rang  out  and  the  smoke  cleared  away,  I  heard 
a  mighty  murmur,  and  once  more  beheld  all  prostrate. 
Upon  this  I  hurriedly  loaded  again,  and  waited  for  fur- 
ther revelations.  All  the  time  I  could  not  help  wonder- 
ing at  the  efiect  produced  by  the  rifle  now  in  comjDarison 
with  the  indifference  with  which  it  had  been  regarded  at 
my  first  arrival  in  the  country.  I  could  not  account  for 
it,  but  supposed  that  the  excitement  of  a  great  religious 
festival  and  the  sudden  death  of  the  Chief  Pauper  and 
the  Chief  Hag  had  probably  deeply  impressed  them.  In 
the  midst  of  these  thoughts  the  whole  multitude  arose; 
and  once  more  there  came  to  my  ears  the  universal  up- 
roar of  innumerable  cries,  in  the  midst  of  which  I  could 
hear  the  words,  "yl^j  Itam!"  "  Jlosel  anan  wacoseJcP'* 
"SopetMutP' 


286  A  Strange  Manuscript 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

CONCLUSION. 

In  the  midst  of  this  the  paupers  and  the  hags  talked 
earnestly  together.  Some  of  those  who  had  been  near- 
est in  rank  to  the  late  Chief  Pauper  and  Chief  Hag  were 
conspicuous  in  the  debate.  All  looked  at  me  and  at 
Almah,  and  pointed  towards  the  sun,  which  was  wheel- 
ing along  behind  the  distant  mountain  crest,  showing  a 
golden  disk.  Then  they  pointed  to  the  dead  bodies; 
and  the  hags  took  the  Chief  Hag,  and  the  paupers  the 
Chief  Pauper,  and  laid  them  side  by  side  on  the  central 
altar.  After  this  a  hag  and  a  pauper  advanced  towards 
us,  each  carrying  the  sacrificial  knife  which  had  be- 
longed to  the  deceased. 

The  hag  spoke  first,  addressing  Almah,  in  accordance 
with  the  Kosekin  custom,  which  requires  "women  to  take 
the  precedence  in  many  things, 

"Take  this,"  she  said,  "oh,  Almah,  consort  of  Atam- 
or,  and  Co-ruler  of  Clouds  and  Darkness.  Henceforth 
you  shall  be  Judge  of  Death  to  the  women  of  the  Ivose- 
kin." 

She  then  handed  Almah  the  sacrificial  knife  of  the 
Chief  Hag,  which  Almah  took  in  silence. 

Then  the  pauper  presented  me  with  the  sacrificial 
knife  of  the  Chief  Pauper,  with  the  following  words: 

"  Take  this,  oh,  Atam-or,  Father  of  Thunder  and  Ruler 
of  Clouds  and  Darkness.  Henceforth  you  shall  be  Judge 
of  Death  to  the  men  of  the  Kosekin  and  Sar  2'ahaJdn 
over  the  whole  nation." 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  287 

I  received  the  knife  in  silence,  for  I  liad  nothing  to 
say;  but  now  Almah  spoke,  as  was  fitting  for  her  to  do, 
since  with  the  Kosekin  the  women  must  take  the  prece- 
dence; and  here  it  Avas  expected  that  she  should  reply 
in  behalf  of  both  of  us. 

So  Almah,  holding  the  sacrificial  knife,  stood  looking 
at  them,  full  of  dignity,  and  spoke  as  follows: 

"  "We  will  take  this,  oh,  Kosekin,  and  we  will  reward 
you  all.  We  will  begin  our  reign  over  the  Kosekin  with 
memorable  acts  of  mercy.  These  two  great  victims 
shall  be  enough  for  the  Mista  KoseJc  of  this  season.  The 
victims  designed  for  this  sacrifice  shall  have  to  deny 
themselves  the  blessing  of  death,  yet  they  shall  be  re- 
warded in  other  ways;  and  all  the  land  from  the  high- 
est to  the  lowest  shall  have  reason  to  rejoice  in  our  rule. 

"To  all  you  hags  and  paupers  we  grant  the  splendid 
and  unparalleled  boon  of  exile  toMagones.  There  you 
can  have  all  the  suffering  which  heart  can  wish,  and  in- 
evitable death.  To  all  classes  and  ranks  in  the  whole 
nation  we  promise  to  grant  a  diminution  in  their  wealth 
by  one  quarter.  In  the  abundance  of  our  mercy  we  are 
willing  ourselves  to  bear  the  burden  of  all  the  offerings 
that  may  be  necessary  in  order  to  accomplish  this.  All 
in  the  land  may  at  once  give  up  one  quarter  of  their 
whole  wealth  to  us." 

At  this  the  hags  and  paupers  gave  a  horrible  yell  of 
applause. 

"As  rulers  of  Light  and  Darkness,  we  will  henceforth 
govern  the  nation  in  the  light  as  well  as  in  the  dark. 
"We  will  sacrifice  ourselves  so  far  to  the  public  good  as 
to  live  in  the  light,  and  in  open  palaces,  "We  will  con- 
sent to  undergo  the  pains  of  light  and  splendor — to  en- 
dure all  the  evils  of  luxury,  magnificence,  and  boundless 
wealth  for  the  good  of  the  Kosekin  nation.  We  will 
consent  to  forego  the  right  of  separation,  and  agree  to 


288  A  Strange  Manuscrijit 

live  together,  even  tliougb  we  love  one  another.  Above 
all,  we  will  refuse  death  and  consent  to  live.  Can  any 
rulers  do  more  than  this  for  the  good  of  their  peo- 
ple ?" 

Another  outburst  of  applause  followed. 

"In  three  Jo?«s,"  continued  Almah,  "all  you  hags  and 
paupers  shall  be  sent  to  exile  and  death  on  Magones. 
As  for  the  rest  of  the  Kosekin,  hear  our  words.  Tell 
them  from  us  that  the  laborers  shall  all  be  elevated  to 
the  rank  of  paupers,  the  artisans  shall  be  made  labor- 
ers, the  tradesmen  artisans,  the  soldiers  tradesmen,  the 
Athons  soldiers,  the  Kohens  Athons,  and  the  Meleks  Ko- 
hens.  There  shall  be  no  Meleks  in  all  the  land.  AYe, 
in  our  love  for  the  Kosekin,  will  henceforth  be  the  only 
Meleks.  Then  all  the  misery  of  that  low  station  Avill 
rest  on  us;  and  in  our  low  estate  as  Meleks  we  shall 
govern  this  nation  in  love  and  self-denial.  Tell  them 
that  we  will  forego  the  sacrifice  and  consent  to  live; 
that  we  will  give  up  darkness  and  cavern  gloom  and 
live  in  light.  Toll  them  to  prepare  for  us  the  splendid 
palaces  of  the  Meleks,  for  we  will  take  the  most  sumpt- 
uous and  magnificent  of  them  all.  Tell  all  the  people 
to  present  their  offerings.  Tell  them  that  we  consent 
to  have  endless  retinues  of  servants,  soldiers,  followers, 
and  attendants.  Tell  them  that  with  the  advent  of 
Almah  and  Atam-or  a  new  era  begins  for  the  Kosekin, 
in  which  every  man  may  be  as  poor  as  he  likes,  and 
riches  shall  be  unknown  in  the  land." 

These  extraordinary  words  seemed  to  fill  the  paupers 
with  rapture.  Exclamations  of  joy  burst  from  them; 
they  prostrated  themselves  in  an  irrepressible  impulse 
of  grateful  admiration,  as  though  such  promises  could 
only  come  from  superior  beings.  Then  most  of  them 
hurried  down  to  communicate  to  the  people  below  the 
glorious  intelligence.     Soon  it  spread  from  mouth  to 


Found  in  a  Copper  Cylinder.  289 

mouth,  and  all  the  people  were  filled  with  the  wildest 
excitement. 

For  never  before  had  such  a  thing  been  known,  and 
never  had  such  a  self-sacrifice  been  imagined  or  thought 
possible,  as  that  the  rulers  of  the  Kosekin  could  consent 
to  be  rich  when  they  might  be  paupers;  to  live  together 
when  they  might  be  separate;  to  dwell  in  the  light  when 
they  might  lurk  in  the  deepest  cavern  gloom;  to  remain 
in  life  when  they  might  have  the  blessing  of  death. 
Selfishness,  fear  of  death,  love  of  riches,  and  love  of  lux- 
ury, these  were  all  unintelligible  to  the  Kosekin,  as  much 
as  to  us  would  be  self-abnegation,  contempt  of  death, 
voluntary  poverty,  and  asceticism.  But  as  with  us  self- 
denying  rulers  may  make  others  rich  and  be  popular  for 
this,  so  here  among  the  Kosekin  a  selfish  ruler  might  be 
popular  by  making  others  poor.  Hence  the  words  of 
Almah,  as  they  were  made  known,  gave  rise  to  the  wild- 
est excitement  and  enthusiasm,  and  the  vast  multitude 
poured  forth  their  feelings  in  long  shouts  of  rapturous 
applause. 

Amid  this  the  bodies  of  the  dead  were  carried  down 
from  the  pyramid,  and  were  taken  to  the  Mista  Kosek 
in  a  long  and  solemn  procession,  accompanied  by  the 
singing  of  wild  and  dismal  chants. 

And  now  the  sun,  rolling  along  behind  the  icy  moun- 
tain crests,  rose  higher  and  higher  every  moment,  and 
the  bright  light  of  a  long  day  began  to  illumine  the 
world.  There  sparkled  the  sea,  rising  far  away  like  a 
watery  wall,  with  the  horizon  high  up  in  the  sky;  there 
rose  the  circle  of  giant  mountains,  sweeping  away  till 
they  were  blended  with  the  horizon;  there  rose  the  ter- 
races of  the  amir,  all  glowing  in  the  sunlight,  with  all 
its  countless  houses  and  cavern-openings  and  arching 
ti*ees  and  pointing  pyramids.  Above  was  the  canopy  of 
heaven,  no  longer  studded  with  stars  or  glistening  with 
13 


290  A  Strange  Manuscript 

the  fitful  shimmer  of  the  aurora,  hut  all  radiant  with 
the  glorious  sunlight,  and  disclosing  all  the  splendors  of 
the  infinite  blue.  At  that  sight  a  thrill  of  joy  passed 
through  rae.  The  long,  long  night  at  last  was  over;  the 
darkness  had  passed  away  like  some  hideous  dream;  the 
day  was  here  —  the  long  day  that  was  to  know  no 
shadow  and  no  decline — when  all  this  world  should  be 
illuminated  by  the  ever-circling  sun — a  sun  that  would 
never  set  until  his  long  course  of  many  months  be  fully 
run.  My  heart  swelled  with  rapture,  my  eyes  filled  with 
tears.  "  O  Light !"  I  cried;  "  O  gleaming,  golden  Sun- 
light I  O  Light  of  Heaven  ! — light  that  brings  life  and 
hope  to  man  !"  And  I  could  have  fallen  on  my  knees 
and  worshipped  that  rising  sun. 

But  the  light  which  was  so  glorious  to  us  was  painful 
and  distressing  to  the  Kosekin.  On  the  top  of  the 
pyramid  the  paupers  crouched,  shading  their  eyes.  The 
crowd  below  began  to  disj^erse  in  all  directions,  so  as  to 
betake  themselves  to  their  coverts  and  to  the  caverns, 
where  they  might  live  in  the  dark.  Soon  nearly  all  Avere 
gone  except  the  paupers  at  the  foot  of  the  pyramid,  who 
were  awaiting  our  commands,  and  a  crowd  of  Meleks 
and  Athons  at  a  distance.  At  a  gesture  from  me  the 
few  paupers  near  us  descended  and  joined  those  below. 

Almah  and  I  were  alone  on  the  top  of  the  pyramid. 

I  caught  her  in  my  arms  in  a  rapture  of  joy.  This 
revulsion  from  the  lowest  despair — from  darkness  and 
from  death  back  to  hope  and  light  and  life — was  almost 
too  much  to  endure.  We  both  wept,  but  our  tears  were 
those  of  happiness. 

"You  will  be  all  my  own  now,"  said  I,  "and  we  can 
fly  from  this  hateful  land.  "We  can  be  united — we  can 
be  married — here  before  we  start,  and  you  will  not  be 
cruel  enough  to  refuse.  You  will  consent,  will  you  not, 
to  be  my  wife  before  we  fly  from  the  Kosekin?'' 


Found  in  a   Cop2)€r   Cylinder.  291 

At  this  Almah's  face  became  suffused  with  smiles  and 
blushes.  Her  arms  were  about  me,  and  she  did  not  draw 
away,  but  looked  uj)  in  sweet  confusion  and  said, 

"Why,  as  to  that — I — I  cannot  be  more  your-— your 
wife  than  I  am." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  exclaimed,  in  wonder.  "  My 
wife  !" 

Her  eyes  dropped  again  and  she  whispered, 

"  The  ceremony  of  separation  is  with  the  Kosekin  the 
most  sacred  form  of  marriage.  It  is  the  religious  form; 
the  other  is  merely  the  civil  form." 

This  was  uuiutelligible,  nor  did  I  try  to  understand  it. 
It  was  enough  to  hear  this  from  her  own  sweet  lips;  but 
it  was  a  strange  feeling,  and  I  think  I  am  the  only  man 
since  Adam  that  was  ever  married  without  knowing  it. 

"As  to  flight,"  continued  Alraah,  who  had  quite 
adopted  the  Kosekin  fashion,  which  makes  women  take 
the  lead — "  as  to  flight,  we  need  not  hurry.  We  are  all- 
powerful  now,  and  there  is  no  more  danger.  We  must 
wait  until  we  send  embassies  to  my  people,  and  when 
they  are  I'eady  to  receive  us  we  will  go.  But  now  let 
us  leave  this,  for  our  servants  are  waiting  for  us,  and 
the  light  is  distressing  to  them.  Let  us  go  to  the  near- 
est of  our  palaces  and  obtain  rest  and  food." 

Here  Featherstone  stopped,  yawned,  and  laid  down 
the  manuscript. 

"That's  enough  for  to-day,"  said  he;  "I'm  tired  and 
can't  read  any  more.     It's  time  for  supper." 


THE    END. 


H.  RIDER  HAGGARD'S  NOVELS. 


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AFTER  DARK,  and  Other  Stories. 

ANTOXIXA. 

ARMADALE. 

BASIL. 

HIDE-AXD  SEEK. 

"  I  SAY  XO,"  AXD  OrnER  Stories. 

MAX  AXD  WIFE. 

MY  MISCELLAXTES. 

XO  XAME. 


POOR  MISS  Fixcn. 
THE  DEAD  SECRET. 
THE  LAW  AXD  THE  LADY. 
THE  MOOXSTOXE. 
THE  NEW  MAGDALEX. 
THE  QUEEX  OF  HEARTS. 
THE  TWO  DESTIXIES. 
THE  WOMAX  IN  WHITE. 


ARMADALE. 
AXTOXIXA  , 
"I  SAY  XO" 


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20  I  THE    WOMAX    IX    WHITE. 

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A  CASTLE  IN  SPAIN.     A  Novel.     Illustrated.    8vo,  Paper,  50 
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The  characters  are  vividly  drawn,  and  the  story  is  well  told  in  chaste  and  elegant 
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Mr.  De  Mille's  style  is  clever,  easy,  and  very  k\gieea,blii.—\VhiUhallRevicic,  Lon- 
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CORD  AND  CREESE  ;  or.  The  Braitoon  Mystery.    A  Novel. 
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Is  such  a  striking  work  of  fiction  that  we  are  inclined  to  rank  it  only  a  little  be- 
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the  centre  around  which  the  incidents  of  the  story  are  grouped  is  quite  as  fasci- 
nating a  puzzle  as  Wilkie  Collins's  "Moonstone  ''  or  the  sea-buried  manuscript  of 
"Cord  and  Creese."  From  beginning  to  end  of  the  volume  the  interest  never 
flags;  and  the  most  exacting  reader  will  find  enough  of  dramatic  surprises,  star- 
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THE  DODGE   CLUB;  or,  Italy  ik  MDCCCLIX.    Illustrated. 
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You  cannot  well  resist  his  rollicking  fun,  gay  good-humor,  comical  exaggera- 
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Clever  and  fanny. —Xadon,  N.  Y. 
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THE   LIVING    LINK.     A  Novel.     Illustrated.     8vo,  Paper,  60 
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A  novel  of  thrilling  interest,  and  well  Bast.a.med.— Presbyterian,  Philadelphia. 


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